TITLE: Reconstructing a model from its definable sets
QUESTION [6 upvotes]: Let $\mathcal{M}$ be an infinite model of a first-order language, and for each $n$, let $\mathcal{B}_n$ be the algebra of definable sets of $n$-tuples from $|\mathcal{M}|$.

Given $\{\mathcal{B}_n\mid _{n\in\mathbb{N}}\}$ (and, obviously, $|\mathcal{M}|$, is it possible to describe explicitly some $\mathcal{M}'$ whose definable sets are $\{\mathcal{B}_n\}$?  (I think the question makes the most sense assuming that the language itself is unknown, so I'm asking if there's a natural way to invent a language and a model which gives the chosen definable sets.  Obviously there is such a model, namely the original one, but I'm open minded about what it would mean to construct $\mathcal{M}'$ "explicitly".)
How well do the definable sets "pin down" the model?  Need two models with the same definable sets in the same language be elementarily equivalent?  Can anything be said about the relationship between two different models of different languages, but with the same definable sets?
There are some obvious restrictions on the $\mathcal{B}_n$: $\mathcal{B}_n\times\mathcal{B}_m\subseteq\mathcal{B}_{n+ m}$, each $\mathcal{B}_n$ is a Boolean algebra, $\mathcal{B}_m$ contains all projections from $\mathcal{B}_{m+n}$.  Are there any others?

REPLY [8 votes]: I like this question very much. 
For 1,  you can add a relation symbol for every set in the
family, and this will of course suffice to define every set
in the family, while creating no additional definable sets,
since giving a name to a definable set is clearly
conservative.
For 2, two models giving rise to the same family of definable
sets need not be elementarily equivalent. For example, you
can turn an order upside-down or use the complement of a
relation to get the same definable sets, but this can 
strongly affect the theory.
For 3, the properties you list do not suffice, since you need to be able to
permute variables within any one dimension, since definable
sets are closed under that operation. Also, you
will need to close under composition of relations and
substitution. For example, if you have the graph of a
function that is definable, then you will need to have all
substitution instances of this function into definable
sets. Finally, you will need to add the diagonal $\Delta=\{(x,x)\mid x\in M\}$, which is always a definable binary relation (if one assumes as usual that $=$ is included in all first order languages). This last property does not follow from your properties, since one could double every point while preserving your properties. Perhaps these additional requirements suffice to carry out Andreas' elimination of quantifiers idea...