On subtractive varieties,I

A varietyV is subtractive if it obeys the laws s(x, x)=0, s(x, 0)=x for some binary terms and constant 0. This means thatV has 0-permutable congruences (namely [0]R ºS=[0]S ºR for any congruencesR, S of any algebra inV). We present the basic features of such varieties, mainly from the viewpoint of ideal theory. Subtractivity does not imply congruence modularity, yet the commutator theory for ideals works fine. We characterize i-Abelian algebras, (i.e. those in which the commutator is identically 0). In the appendix we consider the case of a classical ideal theory (comprising: groups, loops, rings, Heyting and Boolean algebras, even with multioperators and virtually all algebras coming from logic) and we characterize the corresponding class of subtractive varieties.Presented by A. F. Pixley.