Abstract In this paper, by means of upper approximation operators in rough set theory, we study representations for sL-domains and its special subclasses. We introduce the concepts of sL-approximation spaces, L-approximation spaces, and bc-approximation spaces, which are special types of CF-approximation spaces. We prove that the collection of CF-closed sets in an sL-approximation space (resp., an L-approximation space, a bc-approximation space) ordered by set-theoretic inclusion is an sL-domain (resp., an L-domain, a bc-domain); conversely, every sL-domain (resp., L-domain, bc-domain) is order-isomorphic to the collection of CF-closed sets of an sL-approximation space (resp., an L-approximation space, a bc-approximation space). Consequently, we establish an equivalence between the category of sL-domains (resp., L-domains) with Scott continuous mappings and that of sL-approximation spaces (resp., L-approximation spaces) with CF-approximable relations.

In analogy to a result due to Drake and Thron about topological spaces, this paper studies the dcpos (directed complete posets) which are fully determined, among all dcpos, by their lattices of all Scott-closed subsets (such dcpos will be called $C_{\sigma}$-unique). We introduce the notions of down-linear element and quasicontinuous element in dcpos, and use them to prove that dcpos of certain classes, including all quasicontinuous dcpos as well as Johnstone's and Kou's examples, are $C_{\sigma}$-unique. As a consequence, $C_{\sigma}$-unique dcpos with their Scott topologies need not be bounded sober.