On maximal and minimal elements of partially ordered sets of Boolean degrees

The paper addresses the “weakest” algorithmic reducibility—Boolean reducibility. Under study are the partially ordered sets of Boolean degrees L _Q corresponding to the various closed classes of Boolean functions Q. The set L _Q is shown to have no maximal elements for many closed classes Q. Some examples are given of a sufficiently large classes Q for which L _Q contains continuum many maximal elements. It is found that the sets of degrees corresponding to the closed classes T ₀₁ and SM contain continuum many minimal elements.