On the width of ordered sets and Boolean algebras

Thewidth (chain number) of a partial order P, < is the smallest cardinal such that ¦A¦< 1 + whenever A is an antichain (chain) in P. We prove that, if a partial order (P, <) has width and cf()=, then P contains antichains A_n (n<) such that ¦A₀¦<¦A₁¦ <...<={¦A_n¦: n < < } and either A₀1 A₂< ... or A₀>A₁ >A₂> ... A similar structure result is obtained for partial orders with chain number if cf()=. As an application we solve a problem of van Douwen, Monk and Rubin [1] by showing that if a Boolean algebra has width , thencf() .This work has been partially supported by NATO grant No. 339/84.Presented by Bjarni Jonsson.