Cores and retracts

Theretracts (idempotent, isotone self-maps) of an ordered set are naturally ordered as functions. In this note we characterize the possible ways that one retract can cover another one. This gives some insight into the structure of the ordered set of retracts and leads to a natural generalization of the core of an ordered set.Supported by NSERC Operating Grant 41702.     

Idempotent Generation in the Endomorphism Monoid of a Uniform Partition

Denote by 𝒯_n and 𝒮_n the full transformation semigroup and the symmetric group on the set {1,…, n}, and ?_n = {1} ∪ (𝒯_n?𝒮_n). Let 𝒯(X, 𝒫) denote the monoid of all transformations of the finite set X preserving a uniform partition 𝒫 of X into m subsets of size n, where m, n ≥ 2. We enumerate the idempotents of 𝒯(X, 𝒫), and describe the submonoid S = ? E ? generated by the idempotents E = E(𝒯(X, 𝒫)). We show that S = S₁ ∪ S₂, where S₁ is a direct product of m copies of ?_n, and S₂ is a wreath product of 𝒯_n with 𝒯_m?𝒮_m. We calculate the rank and idempotent rank of S, showing that these are equal, and we also classify and enumerate all the idempotent generating sets of minimal size. In doing so, we also obtain new results about arbitrary idempotent generating sets of ?_n.     

Semigroups generated by a group and an idempotent

It is well known that the semigroup of all transformations on a finite set X of order n is generated by its group of units, the symmetric group, and any idempotent of rank n ? 1. Similarly, the symmetric inverse semigroup on X is generated by its group of units and any idempotent of rank n ? 1 while the analogous result is true for the semigroup of all n × n matrices over a field.

In this paper we begin a systematic study of the structure of a semigroup S generated by its group G of units and an idempotent ? . The first section consists of preliminaries while the second contains some general results which provide the setting for those which follow.

In the third section we shall investigate the situation where G is a permutation group on a set X of order n and ? is an idempotent of rank n ? 1. In particular, we shall show that any such semigroup S is regular. Furthermore we shall determine when S is an inverse or orthodox semigroup or completely regular semigroup.

The fourth section deals with a special case, that in which G is cyclic. The fifth, and last, deals with the situation where G is dihedral. In both cases, the resulting semigroup has a particularly delicate structure which is of interest in its own right. Both situations are replete with interesting combinatorial gems.

The author was led to the results of this paper by considering the output of a computer program he was writing for generating and analyzing semigroups.     

On character amenability of semigroup algebras

We study the character amenability of semigroup algebras. We work on general semigroups and certain semigroups such as inverse semigroups with a finite number of idempotents, inverse semigroups with uniformly locally finite idempotent set, Brandt and Rees semigroup and study the character amenability of the semigroup algebra l¹(S) in relation to the structures of the semigroup S. In particular, we show that for any semigroup S, if ?¹(S) is character amenable, then S is amenable and regular. We also show that the left character amenability of the semigroup algebra ?¹(S) on a Brandt semigroup S over a group G with index set J is equivalent to the amenability of G and J being finite. Finally, we show that for a Rees semigroup S with a zero over the group G, the left character amenability of ?¹(S) is equivalent to its amenability, this is in turn equivalent to G being amenable.     

Products of idempotent matrices

For some years it has been known that every singular square matrix over an arbitrary field F is a product of idempotent matrices over F. This paper quantifies that result to some extent. Main result: for every field F and every pair (n,k) of positive integers, an n×n matrix S over F is a product of k idempotent matrices over F iff rank(I ? S)?k· nullity S. The proof of the “if” part involves only elementary matrix operations and may thus be regarded as constructive. Corollary: (for every field F and every positive integer n) each singular n×n matrix over F is a product of n idempotent matrices over F, and there is a singular n×n matrix over F which is not a product of n ? 1 idempotent matrices.     

Unary Semigroups with an Associate Subgroup

A subgroup H of a regular semigroup S is said to be an associate subgroup of S if for every s ∈ S, there is a unique associate of s in H. An idempotent z of S is said to be medial if czc = c, for every c product of idempotents of S. Blyth and Martins established a structure theorem for semigroups with an associate subgroup whose identity is a medial idempotent, in terms of an idempotent generated semigroup, a group and a single homomorphism. Here, we construct a system of axioms which characterize these semigroups in terms of a unary operation satisfying those axioms. As a generalization of this class of semigroups, we characterize regular semigroups S having a subgroup which is a transversal of a congruence on S.     

A direct product decomposition of QMV algebras

We study the direct product decomposition of quantum many-valued algebras (QMV algebras) which generalizes the decomposition theorem of ortholattices (orthomodular lattices).In detail,for an idempo- tent element of a given QMV algebra,if it commutes with every element of the QMV algebra,it can induce a direct product decomposition of the QMV algebra.At the same time,we introduce the commutant C(S) of a set S in a QMV algebra,and prove that when S consists of idempotent elements,C(S) is a subalgebra of the QMV algebra.This also generalizes the cases of orthomodular lattices.     

Fully invariant transformations and associated groups

It is well known that the symmetric group S _ntogether with one idempotent of rank n- 1 on a finite n-element set Nserves as a set of generators for the semigroup T _nof all the total transformations on N. It is also well known that the singular part Sing _n of T _n can be generated by a set of idempotents of rank n- 1. The purpose of this paper is to begin an investigation of the way in which Sing_nand its subsemigroups can be generated by the conjugates of a subset of elements of T _n by a subgroup of S _n . We look for the smallest subset of elements of T _n that will serve and, correspondingly, for a characterization of those subgroups of S _n that will serve. Using some techniques from graph theory we prove our main result:the conjugates of a single transformation of rank n- 1 under Gsuffice to generate Sing_nif and only if Gis what we define to be a 2-block transitive subgroup of S _n .     

Embedding Semigroups into Idempotent Generated Ones

We present a concrete model of the embedding due to Pastijn and Yan of a semigroup S into an idempotent generated semigroup now in terms of a Rees matrix semigroup over S¹. The paper starts with a comparison of the two embeddings. Studying the properties of this embedding, we prove that it is functorial. We show that a number of usual semigroup properties is preserved by this embedding, such as periodicity, finiteness, the cryptic property, regularity, complete semisimplicity and various local properties, but complete regularity is not one of them.     

Automorphisms and isotone self-maps of ordered sets with top and bottom

For an ordered setP letP ^P denote the set of all isotone self-maps on P, that is, all mapsf fromP toP such thatxy impliesf(x)f(y), and let Aut (P) the set of all automorphisms onP, that is, all bijective isotone self-maps inP ^P . We establish an inequality relating ¦P ^P ¦ and ¦Aut(P)¦ in terms of the irreducibles ofP. As a straightforward corollary, we show that Rival and Rutkowski's automorphism conjecture is true for lattices. It is also true for ordered sets with top and bottom whose covering graphs are planar.Supported in part by NSERC (Grant no. A2507).Supported under an NSERC International Research Fellowship.     

Flatness properties of monocyclic acts

In a previous paper the authors studied flatness properties of cyclic actsS/ (S denotes a monoid, and is a right congruence onS), and determined conditions onS under which all flat or weakly flat acts of this type are actually strongly flat or projective. In the present paper attention is restricted to monocyclic acts (cyclic acts in which is generated by a single pair of elements ofS), and further results on such collapsing of flatness properties are obtained. An observation which is used extensively in this study is the fact that forw andt inS withwtt,S/(wt,t) is flat if and only ift is a regular element ofS.Research supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Operating Grant A4494.Research supported by Estonian Research Foundation Grant No. 930.     

A Classification of Fully Residually Free Groups of Rank Three or Less

A groupGisfully residually freeprovided to every finite setS ⊂ G\{1} of non-trivial elements ofGthere is a free groupF_Sand an epimorphismh_S:G → F_Ssuch thath_S(g) ≠ 1 for allg ∈ S. Ifnis a positive integer, then a groupGisn-freeprovided every subgroup ofGgenerated bynor fewer distinct elements is free. Our main result shows that a fully residually free group of rank at most 3 is either abelian, free, or a free rank one extension of centralizers of a rank two free group. To prove this we prove that every 2-free, fully residually free group is actually 3-free. There are fully residually free groups which are not 2-free and there are 3-free, fully residually free groups which are not 4-free.     

A Biordered Set Representation of Regular Semigroups

In this paper, for an arbitrary regular biordered set E, by using biorder-isomorphisms between the w-ideals of E, we construct a fundamental regular semigroup WE called NH-semigroup of E, whose idempotent biordered set is isomorphic to E. We prove further that WE can be used to give a new representation of general regular semigroups in the sense that, for any regular semigroup S with the idempotent biordered set isomorphic to E, there exists a homomorphism from S to WE whose kernel is the greatest idempotent-separating congruence on S and the image is a full symmetric subsemigroup of WE. Moreover, when E is a biordered set of a semilattice Eo, WE is isomorphic to the Munn-semigroup TEo; and when E is the biordered set of a band B, WE is isomorphic to the Hall-semigroup WB.     

The classification problem for S-local torsion-free abelian groups of finite rank

Suppose that n?2 and that S, T are sets of primes. Then the classification problem for the S-local torsion-free abelian groups of rank n is Borel reducible to the classification problem for the T-local torsion-free abelian groups of rank n if and only if S⊆T.     

The lattice of idempotent distributive semiring varieties

A solution is given for the word problem for free idempotent distributive semirings. Using this solution the latticeL (ID) of subvarieties of the variety ID of idempotent distributive semirings is determined. It turns out thatL (ID) is isomorphic to the direct product of a four-element lattice and a lattice which is itself a subdirect product of four copies of the latticeL(B) of all band varieties. ThereforeL(ID) is countably infinite and distributive. Every subvariety of ID is finitely based. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 19761004) and the Provincial Applied Fundamental Research Foundation of Yunnan (96a001z).     

Le genre de Mislin des espaces rationnellement équivalents à un produit de deux sphères de dimensions différentes

 Zabrodsky exact sequences are algebraic tools which express the genus set of a space X in term of its self-maps, when X has the rational homotopy type of a co-ℋ-space or an ℋ-space. Explicit examples show these methods can't be generalized to the class of all simply connected finite CW-complexes. We however construct a Zabrodsky exact sequence for those three cells CW-complexes rationally equivalent to the product of two spheres S ^k ×S ⁿ , n>k≥2. We deduce, from results of Morisugi-Oshima, the genus of some spherical bundles. Received: 17 March 2001 / Revised version: 8 August 2001     

Largest subsemigroups of the full transformation monoid

In this paper we are concerned with the following question: for a semigroup S, what is the largest size of a subsemigroup T?S where T has a given property? The semigroups S that we consider are the full transformation semigroups; all mappings from a finite set to itself under composition of mappings. The subsemigroups T that we consider are of one of the following types: left zero, right zero, completely simple, or inverse. Furthermore, we find the largest size of such subsemigroups U where the least rank of an element in U is specified. Numerous examples are given.     

On Embeddability of Idempotent Separating Extensions of Inverse Semigroups

Let S be an inverse semigroup and rho an idempotent separating congruence on S. It is proved that S can be embedded into a lambda-semidirect product of a group F by S/rho where F belongs to the variety generated by the idempotent classes of rho.