Algorithms over partially ordered sets

We here study some problems concerned with the computational analysis of finite partially ordered sets. We begin (in § 1) by showing that the matrix representation of a binary relationR may always be taken in triangular form ifR is a partial ordering. We consider (in § 2) the chain structure in partially ordered sets, answer the combinatorial question of how many maximal chains might exist in a partially ordered set withn elements, and we give an algorithm for enumerating all maximal chains. We give (in § 3) algorithms which decide whether a partially ordered set is a (lower or upper) semi-lattice, and whether a lattice has distributive, modular, and Boolean properties. Finally (in § 4) we give Algol realizations of the various algorithms.