Embedding Finite Lattices into the Computably Enumerable Degrees — a Status Survey

We survey the current status of an old open question in classical computability theory: Which finite lattices can be embedded into the degree structure of the computably enumerable degrees? Does the collection of embeddable finite lattices even form a computable set? Two recent papers by the second author show that for a large subclass of the finite lattices, the so-called join-semidistributive lattices (or lattices without so-called “critical triple”), the collection of embeddable lattices forms a Π2-set. This paper surveys recent joint work by the authors, concentrating on restricting the number of meets by considering “quasilattices”, i.e., finite upper semilattices in which only some meets of incomparable elements are specified. In particular, we note that all finite quasilattices with one meet specified are embeddable; and that the class of embeddable finite quasilattices with two meets specified, while nontrivial, forms a computable set. On the other hand, more sophisticated techniques may be necessary for finite quasilattices with three meets specified.