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(0,1)-category

(0,1)-topos

# Contents

## Definition

###### Definition

(linear extension)

Given a set $X$ equipped with a partial ordering $\leq$, then a linear extension is a linear order $\leq_{lin}$ on the same set $S$, such that the identity function $id_S$ is order-preserving

$(S,\leq) \overset{ id_S }{\longrightarrow} \left(S,\leq_{lin}\right) \,.$

## Properties

###### Proposition

(existence of linear extensions)

For finite sets linear extensions (Def. ) always exist. For non-finite sets this is still the case using the axiom of choice.

A proof under AC was first published in (Marczewski 30). The proposition actually follows from the weaker choice principle called the ultrafilter principle, by appeal to the compactness theorem, as follows.

###### Proof

It is a very simple matter to show linear extensions exist in the finite case: one may proceed by induction. Any finite $n$-element poset has a minimal element $x$ (meaning $y \leq x$ implies $y = x$). By induction the restricted partial order on $X \setminus \{x\}$ admits a linear extension, and then one may simply prepend $x$ to that linear order to complete the inductive step.

The rest is a routine application of compactness for propositional theories. Let $(X, \leq)$ be a partially ordered set, and introduce a signature consisting of constants $c_x$, one for each $x \in X$, and a binary relation $L$. Introduce axioms $\neg(c_x = c_y)$ whenever $x \neq y$ in $X$, and $L(c_x, c_y)$ whenever $x \leq y$ in the poset $X$, and axioms stating that $L$ is a linear order. By the previous paragraph, the resulting theory is finitely satisfiable upon interpreting each $c_x$ as $x$. Hence the theory is satisfiable. Taking any model $M$, and interpreting the constants in $M$, and restricting $L$ to them, we obtain a linear extension on $X$.

## References

• Edward Marczewski, Sur l’extension de l’ordre partiel, Fundamenta Mathematicae, 16: 386–389 (1930) (pdf)