Abstract

Given a positive universal formula in the language of residuated lattices, we construct a recursive basis of equations for a variety, such that a subdirectly irreducible residuated lattice is in the variety exactly when it satisfies the positive universal formula. We use this correspondence to prove, among other things, that the join of two finitely based varieties of commutative residuated lattices is also finitely based. This implies that the intersection of two finitely axiomatized substructural logics over FL + is also finitely axiomatized. Finally, we give examples of cases where the join of two varieties is their Cartesian product.