Let A ≤ B be structures, and ${\cal K}$ a class of structures. An element b ∈ B is dominated by A relative to ${\cal K}$ if for all ${\bf{C}} \in {\cal K}$ and all homomorphisms g, g' : B → C such that g and g' agree on A, we have gb = g'b. Our main theorem states that if ${\cal K}$ is closed under ultraproducts, then A dominates b relative to ${\cal K}$ if and only if there is a partial function F definable by a primitive positive formula in ${\cal K}$ such that FB(a1,…,an) = b for some a1,…,an ∈ A. Applying this result we show that a quasivariety of algebras ${\cal Q}$ with an n-ary near-unanimity term has surjective epimorphisms if and only if $\mathbb{S}\mathbb{P}_n \mathbb{P}_u \left( {\mathcal{Q}_{{\text{RSI}}} } \right)$ has surjective epimorphisms. It follows that if ${\cal F}$ is a finite set of finite algebras with a common near-unanimity term, then it is decidable whether the (quasi)variety generated by ${\cal F}$ has surjective epimorphisms.

We address the question of the dualizability of nilpotent Mal’cev algebras, showing that nilpotent finite Mal’cev algebras with a nonabelian supernilpotent congruence are inherently nondualizable. In particular, finite nilpotent nonabelian Mal’cev algebras of finite type are nondualizable if they are direct products of algebras of prime power order. We show that these results cannot be generalized to nilpotent algebras by giving an example of a group expansion of infinite type that is nilpotent and nonabelian, but dualizable. To our knowledge this is the first construction of a nonabelian nilpotent dualizable algebra. It has the curious property that all its nonabelian finitary reducts with group operation are nondualizable. We were able to prove dualizability by utilizing a new clone theoretic approach developed by Davey, Pitkethly, and Willard. Our results suggest that supernilpotence plays an important role in characterizing dualizability among Mal’cev algebras.

The optimality of dualities on a quasivariety , generated by a finite algebra , has been introduced by Davey and Priestley in the 1990s. Since every optimal duality is determined by a transversal of a certain family of subsets of Ω, where Ω is a given set of relations yielding a duality on , an understanding of the structures of these subsets—known as globally minimal failsets—was required. A complete description of globally minimal failsets which do not contain partial endomorphisms has recently been given by the author and H. A. Priestley. Here we are concerned with globally minimal failsets containing endomorphisms. We aim to explain what seems to be a pattern in the way endomorphisms belong to these failsets. This paper also gives a complete description of globally minimal failsets whose minimal elements are automorphisms, when is a subdirectly irreducible lattice-structured algebra.

We show that mono-unary algebras have rank at most two and are thus strongly dualizable. We provide an example of a strong duality for a mono-unary algebra using an alter ego with (partial) operations of arity at most two. This mono-unary algebra has rank two and generates the same quasivariety as an injective, hence rank one, mono-unary algebra.

We give a revised and updated exposition of the theory of full dualities initiated by Clark, Davey, Krauss and Werner, introducing the (stronger) notion of a strong duality. All known full dualities turn out to be strong. A series of theorems which provide necessary and sufficient conditions for a strong duality to exist is proved. All full dualities in the literature can be obtained from these results and many new strong dualities can be derived. In particular, we show that within congruence distributive varieties every duality can be upgraded to a strong duality. Amongst the new strong dualities are the dualities of Davey, Priestley and Werner for the varieties of pseudocomplemented distributive lattices which are either strong as they stand or can easily be made strong by the addition of partial operations to the dual structures.