In the branch of mathematics called order theory, a modular lattice is a lattice that satisfies the following self-dual condition, Modular lawa ≤ b implies a ∨ (x ∧ b) = (a ∨ x) ∧ b where x, a, b are arbitrary elements in the lattice, ≤ is the partial order, and ∨ and ∧ (called join and meet respectively) are the operations of the lattice. This phrasing emphasizes an interpretation in terms of projection onto the sublattice [a, b], a fact known as the diamond isomorphism theorem. An alternative but equivalent condition stated as an equation (see below) emphasizes that modular lattices form a variety in the sense of universal algebra.