The Structure of $k$-$CS$- Transitive Cycle-Free Partial Orders

Book excerpt: The class of cycle-free partial orders (CFPOs) is defined, and the CFPOs fulfilling a natural transitivity assumption, called k-connected set transitivity (k-CS-transitivity), are analysed in some detail. Classification in many of the interesting cases is given. This work generlizes Droste's classification of the countable k-transitive trees (k>1). In a CFPO, the structure can be branch downwards as well as upwards, and can do so repeatedely (though it neverr returns to the starting point by a cycle). Mostly it is assumed that k>2 and that all maximal chains are finite. The main classification splits into the sporadic and skeletal cases. The former is complete in all cardinalities. The latter is performed only in the countable case. The classification is considerably more complicated than for trees, and skeletal CFPOs exhibit rich, elaborate and rather surprising behaviour.