In mathematics, and especially in order theory, a nucleus is a function F {\displaystyle F} on a meet-semilattice A {\displaystyle {\mathfrak {A}}} such that (for every p {\displaystyle p} in A {\displaystyle {\mathfrak {A}}} ):
p ≤ F ( p ) {\displaystyle p\leq F(p)}
F ( F ( p ) ) = F ( p ) {\displaystyle F(F(p))=F(p)}
F ( p ∧ q ) = F ( p ) ∧ F ( q ) {\displaystyle F(p\wedge q)=F(p)\wedge F(q)}
Every nucleus is evidently a monotone function.
Frames and locales Usually, the term nucleus is used in pointless topology (when the semilattice A {\displaystyle {\mathfrak {A}}} is a frame). Proposition: If F {\displaystyle F} is a nucleus on a frame A {\displaystyle {\mathfrak {A}}} , then the poset Fix F {\displaystyle \operatorname {Fix} F} of fixed points of F {\displaystyle F} , with order inherited from A {\displaystyle {\mathfrak {A}}} , is also a frame.
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