In
mathematical logic, an
(induced) substructure or
(induced) subalgebra is a
structure whose domain is a
subset of that of a bigger structure, and whose functions and relations are the traces of the functions and relations of the bigger structure. Some examples of subalgebras are
subgroups,
submonoids,
subrings,
subfields, subalgebras of
algebras over a field, or induced
subgraphs. Shifting the point of view, the larger structure is called an
extension or a
superstructure of its substructure. In
model theory, the term
"submodel" is often used as a synonym for substructure, especially when the context suggests a theory of which both structures are models.