Let p and q be polynomial symbols of a type of algebras having operations ∨, ∧, and; (interpreted as the join, meet, and product of congruence relations). If
is an algebra, L(
), the local variety of
, is the class of all algebras
such that for each finite subset G of
there is a finite subset F of
such that every identity of F is also an identity of G.
THEOREM. There is an algorithm which, for each inequality
p≤q,
and pair of integers n, k≥2, determines a set Un, k of (Malcev) equations with the property:
For each algebra
, p≤q is true in the congruence lattice of
for each
∊L(
) if and only if for each finite subset F of
and integer n≥2 there is a k=k(n, F) such that Un, kare identities of F.
This generalizes a corresponding result for varieties due to Wille (Kongruenzklassengeometrien, Lect. Notes in Math. Springer- Verlag, Berlin-Heidelberg, New York, 1970) and at the same time provides a more direct proof.