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Finite subsets of a well-quasi-ordering, compared by Hoare domination preorder, form a well-quasi-ordering. Enumerate each finite subset as a word and apply Higman lemma: a subsequence embedding with increased letters supplies a domination witness for every source element. This does not assert the same result for the full power set.

Finite rooted trees labelled in a well-quasi-ordering are a well-quasi-ordering under label-monotone tree embedding. A minimal bad sequence argument makes the collection of proper rooted subtrees a well-quasi-ordering; Higman lemma then compares their child lists while the root labels are compared in the label order.

A minimal bad sequence chooses each successive object of least possible natural-number size among choices that admit an infinite bad continuation of the already fixed prefix. Replacing its next object by a strictly smaller one cannot leave a bad sequence. This contradiction principle proves Higman lemma and the labelled version of Kruskal's tree theorem.

As printed, yes: the relation is universal. The original PDF puts the existentially quantified element in the same subset as the universally quantified element; this is not an OCR substitution. For each element of that subset, choose the element itself as witness, using reflexivity of the underlying well-quasi-ordering. For an empty subset the condition is vacuous. The truth value therefore never depends on the proposed target subset. On the power set this is a reflexive transitive relation, and every two terms of any infinite sequence are related:A well-quasi-ordering need not be antisymmetric, so universal comparability is allowed.

If the existential element is instead intended to belong to the target subset, the natural relation is the Hoare domination preorderFor arbitrary subsets the answer to that corrected question is no. Here is a complete counterexample, the Rado order. TakeThis is a partial order. Reflexivity is immediate. For transitivity, two same-row comparisons compose ordinarily. If the first comparison crosses rows and the second stays in its row, its target first coordinate is unchanged, so the cross-row inequality persists. If the first stays in its row and the second crosses, use $n\le l<k^{\prime }$; if both cross, use $n<k<l<k^{\prime }$. Antisymmetry follows because comparisons across distinct rows in both directions would require $n<k<l<m<n$.

The Rado order is a well-quasi-ordering. Given an infinite sequence $(m_i,n_i)$, if a first coordinate $m$ repeats infinitely often, its corresponding natural-number second coordinates have a nondecreasing pair, giving a same-row comparison. Otherwise each first coordinate occurs only finitely often, so the first coordinates in every tail are unbounded. In particular some later $m_j$ exceeds $n_0$, giving $(m_0,n_0){\le }_R(m_j,n_j)$.

For each $m$, take the infinite row $S_m=\{(m,n):n>m\}$. For distinct $m,k$, choose $n>\max (m,k)$. The element $(m,n)\in S_m$ is below no member $(k,l)$ of $S_k$, since its first coordinate is different and $n<k$ fails. Thus $S_m/{\le }_H{S}_k$ for every pair of distinct indices. These subsets form an infinite antichain, so the Hoare domination preorder on $\mathcal{P}(R)$ is not a well-quasi-ordering.

If only finite subsets were intended, the answer changes again: the finite-subset lifting of a well-quasi-order is a well-quasi-ordering. Enumerate each finite subset as a finite word. Higman lemma gives an earlier word embedding into a later one with every letter increased, which witnesses Hoare domination preorder comparison of the underlying subsets. The PDF specifies no finiteness restriction, so this observation supplements rather than replaces the literal answer and the arbitrary-subset counterexample.

A well-quasi-ordering is a reflexive transitive relation for which every infinite sequence has $i<j$ with $x_i\le x_j$. A bad sequence has no such pair. The labelled version of Kruskal's tree theorem says that finite rooted trees labelled in any well-quasi-ordering are themselves well-quasi-ordered by label-monotone tree embedding.

More explicitly, an embedding is an injective map of vertices preserving lowest common ancestors, and satisfying ${\ell }_T(v)\le {\ell }_S(h(v))$ at every vertex. The root need not map to the host root. This is a homeomorphic embedding of a rooted tree: an edge can map to a longer path, but distinct branches must separate at the image of their common ancestor. We shall prove the stronger version in which every vertex's children are linearly ordered and embeddings respect that ordering. Forgetting the child order gives the stated result for unordered rooted trees.

We first establish the two well-quasi-ordering facts used in the proof. Every infinite sequence in a well-quasi-ordering has an infinite nondecreasing subsequence. Indeed, color an index pair $i<j$ according to whether $x_i\le x_j$. The infinite two-color Ramsey theorem gives a homogeneous infinite set; the negative color would be a bad sequence, so the positive color gives the required subsequence. It follows that the componentwise product of two well-quasi-orderings is a well-quasi-ordering: first extract a nondecreasing subsequence in one coordinate, then find a good pair in the other.

Next prove Higman lemma: finite words over a well-quasi-ordering $Q$, ordered by subsequence embedding with coordinatewise increase of letters, are a well-quasi-ordering. Suppose not, and choose a minimal bad sequence $w_0,w_1,\dots$ by making the length of $w_n$ minimal among all choices admitting an infinite bad continuation of the already fixed prefix. No word is the empty word, since that embeds in every later word. Write $w_n=v_n{a}_n$ with $a_n\in Q$. Extract indices $i_0<i_1<\cdots$ for which $a_{i_0}\le a_{i_1}\le \cdots$. ConsiderIt cannot be a bad sequence, since its first replacement is shorter than the minimal choice $w_{i_0}$. But a good pair within the original prefix is impossible. A prefix word embedding into $v_{i_j}$ would embed into $w_{i_j}$, contradicting the original bad sequence. And $v_{i_j}$ embedding into $v_{i_k}$ would, after appending the ordered last letters, embed $w_{i_j}$ into $w_{i_k}$, also impossible. This contradiction proves Higman lemma, including words of arbitrary finite length.

Now suppose there is a bad sequence of finite ordered labelled rooted trees. Choose a minimal bad sequence $T_0,T_1,\dots$ by minimizing the number of vertices of $T_n$, subject to the fixed prefix having an infinite bad continuation. Existence of a least possible size uses ordinary well-ordering of the natural numbers; after selecting such a tree retain a bad continuation to make the next choice.

Let $\mathcal{S}$ be the collection of all proper rooted subtrees of all $T_n$, with inherited labels and child ordering. These are the subtrees rooted at vertices other than the root, and each embeds into its containing tree. We claim $\mathcal{S}$ is a well-quasi-ordering under the same label-monotone tree embedding.

Otherwise choose a bad sequence $U_0,U_1,\dots$ from $\mathcal{S}$, and choose for each a containing tree $T_{n_j}$. The indices $n_j$ are unbounded in every tail: finitely many containing trees have only finitely many rooted subtrees, and an infinite bad sequence cannot repeatedly use one of these, since it embeds into itself. Passing to a subsequence, arrange $n_0<n_1<\cdots$. The spliced sequenceis bad. A good pair within either piece is already excluded. A comparison $T_k⪯U_j$, where $k<n_0\le n_j$, would compose with $U_j⪯T_{n_j}$ to give $T_k⪯T_{n_j}$, contradicting the original bad sequence. But $U_0$ is smaller than $T_{n_0}$, contradicting the minimal choice at that position. This proves the claim about $\mathcal{S}$.

Describe $T_n$ by its root label $q_n\in Q$ and its finite ordered list $C_n$ of child subtrees. Every entry of $C_n$ lies in $\mathcal{S}$. By Higman lemma, ${\mathcal{S}}^{\ast }$ is a well-quasi-ordering; hence so is $Q\times {\mathcal{S}}^{\ast }$. There exist $i<j$ with $q_i\le q_j$ and an increasing injection matching the child subtrees in $C_i$ to child subtrees in $C_j$, each by an embedding. Map root to root and combine these child embeddings. Different matched children lie in different target branches, so their paths meet exactly at the target root; within each branch the chosen embedding already preserves lowest common ancestors. The resulting map is a label-monotone tree embedding $T_i⪯T_j$, a contradiction. ThereforeThe empty labelled tree, if included by convention, embeds into every tree and causes no exception. A common stronger formulation requires the source root to map to the target root. It also follows: the theorem just proved makes all labelled child subtrees a well-quasi-ordering, and the product $Q\times \mathcal{T}(Q{)}^{\ast }$ then provides a good pair with roots explicitly matched, by the same final assembly. Internal child roots may map further down their matched branches. This must not be confused with edge-to-edge embedding, for which the theorem is false in general.