Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2001 / iii / Paper 18 / 1 / i

Use the reverse absorption order on the incline:This is exactly the relation given by the pairs $(x+y,x)$. Indeed, if $a=x+y$ and $b=x$, then $a+b=x+y+x=a$ by additive idempotence, associativity and commutativity. Conversely $a+b=a$ expresses $a$ as $b+a$, so $(a,b)$ is one of these pairs.

Additive idempotence gives $a+a=a$, hence reflexivity. If $a+b=a$ and $b+c=b$, thenso the relation is transitive. In fact it is antisymmetric as well: $a+b=a$ and $b+a=b$, together with commutativity, imply $a=b$. Thus the relation is a partial order, and therefore a quasi-order. It is the reverse of the usual join order of an incline; keeping this reversal is essential for the well-quasi-ordering conclusion.

Both operations are order-preserving for this order. If $a⪯b$, then $(a+c)+(b+c)=a+c$ by additive idempotence, while distributivity gives $ac+bc=(a+b)c=ac$. The multiplicative absorption identity also saysThus multiplying a monomial by another factor moves upward in the reverse absorption order.