Finite abundant semigroups in which the idempotents form a subsemigroup

We consider certain abundant semigroups in which the idempotents form a subsemigroup, and which we call bountiful semigroups. We find a simple criterion for a finite bountiful semigroup to be a member of the join of the pseudovarieties of finite groups and finite aperiodic semigroups.     

Varieties generated by unstable involution semigroups with continuum many subvarieties

Over the years, several finite semigroups have been found to generate varieties with continuum many subvarieties. However, finite involution semigroups that generate varieties with continuum many subvarieties seem much rarer; in fact, only one example—an inverse semigroup of order 165—has so far been published. Nevertheless, it is shown in the present article that there are many smaller examples among involution semigroups that are unstable in the sense that the varieties they generate contain some involution semilattice with nontrivial unary operation. The most prominent examples are the unstable finite involution semigroups that are inherently non-finitely based, the smallest ones of which are of order six. It follows that the join of two finitely generated varieties of involution semigroups with finitely many subvarieties can contain continuum many subvarieties.     

Irreducibility of certain pseudovarieties 1

We prove that the pseudovarieties of all finite semigroups, and of all aperiodic finii e semigroups are irreducible for join, for semidirect product and for Mal’cev product. In particular, these pseudovarieties do not admit maximal proper subpseudovarieties. More generally, analogous results are proved for the pseudovariety of all finite semigroups all of whose subgroups are in a fixed pseudovariety of groups H, provided th.it H is closed under semidirect product.     

Membership of A ∨ G for classes of finite weakly abundant semigroups

We consider the question of membership of A ∨ G, where A and G are the pseudovarieties of finite aperiodic semigroups, and finite groups, respectively. We find a straightforward criterion for a semigroup S lying in a class of finite semigroups that are weakly abundant, to be in A ∨ G. The class of weakly abundant semigroups contains the class of regular semigroups, but is much more extensive; we remark that any finite monoid with semilattice of idempotents is weakly abundant. To study such semigroups we develop a number of techniques that may be of interest in their own right.     

Finite aperiodic semigroups with commuting idempotents and generalizations

It is proved that any pseudovariety of finite semigroups generated by inverse semigroups, the subgroups of which lie in some proper pseudovariety of groups, does not contain all aperiodic semigroups with commuting idempotents. In contrast we show that every finite semigroup with commuting idempotents divides a semigroup of partial bijections that shares the same subgroups. Finally, we answer in the negative a question of Almeida as to whether a result of Stiffler characterizing the semidirect product of the pseudovarieties ofR-trivial semigroups and groups applies to any proper pseudovariety of groups.     

Semigroups with Boolean congruence lattices

A construction of all globally idempotent semigroups with Boolean (complemented modular, relatively complemented, sectionally complemented, respectively) congruence lattice is given. Furthermore, it is shown that an arbitrary semigroup has Boolean (...) congruence lattice if and only if it is a special kind of inflation of a semigroup of the foregoing type. As applications, all commutative, finite, and completely semisimple semigroups, respectively, with Boolean (...) congruence lattice are completely determined.     

The Intersection of Pseudovarieties of Central Simple Semigroups

The problem of computing a finite semigroup generating the intersection of two finitely generated pseudovarieties is considered. A solution to this problem is presented for central simple semigroups.     

Inverse semigroups determined by their lattices of convex inverse subsemigroups I

Every inverse semigroup possesses a natural partial order and therefore convexity with respect to this order is of interest. We study the extent to which an inverse semigroup is determined by its lattice of convex inverse subsemigroups; that is, if the lattices of two inverse semigroups are isomorphic, how are the semigroups related? We solve this problem completely for semilattices and for inverse semigroups in general reduce it to the case where the lattice isomorphism induces an isomorphism between the semilattices of idempotents of the semigroups. For many inverse semigroups, such as the monogenic ones, this case is the only one that can occur. In Part II, a study of the reduced case enables us to prove that many inverse semigroups, such as the free ones, are strictly determined by their lattices of convex inverse subsemigroups, and to show that the answer obtained here for semilattices can be extended to a broad class of inverse semigroups, including all finite, aperiodic ones. Received September 24, 2002; accepted in final form December 15, 2002.     

Congruences on *-Regular Semigroups

In this paper we study the congruences of *-regular semigroups, involution semigroups in which every element is p-related to a projection (an idempotent fixed by the involution). The class of *-regular semigroups was introduced by Drazin in 1979, as the involutorial counterpart of regular semigroups. In the standard approach to *-regular semigroup congruences, one ,starts with idempotents, i.e. with traces and kernels in the underlying regular semigroup, builds congruences of that semigroup, and filters those congruences which preserve the involution. Our approach, however, is more evenhanded with respect to the fundamental operations of *-regular semigroups. We show that idempotents can be replaced by projections when one passes from regular to *-regular semigroup congruences. Following the trace-kernel balanced view of Pastijn and Petrich, we prove that an appropriate equivalence on the set of projections (the *-trace) and the set of all elements equivalent to projections (the *-kernel) fully suffice to reconstruct an (involution-preserving) congruence of a *-regular semigroup. Also, we obtain some conclusions about the lattice of congruences of a *-regular semigroup. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Compact operator semigroups applied to dynamical systems

A right chain ordered semigroup is an ordered semigroup whose right ideals form a chain. In this paper we study the ideal theory of right chain ordered semigroups in terms of prime ideals, completely prime ideals and prime segments, extending to these semigroups results on right chain semigroups proved in Ferrero et al. (J Algebra 292:574–584, 2005).     

Finitely based finite involution semigroups with non-finitely based reducts

Since the study of the finite basis problem for finite semigroups began in the 1960s, it has been unknown if there exists any finite involution semigroup that is finitely based but the reduct of which is non-finitely based. The present article exhibits an example of such an involution semigroup of order n+5 for any positive integer n.     

Filters in (Quasiordered) Semigroups and Lattices of Filters

A filter in a semigroup is a subsemigroup whose complement is an ideal. (Alternatively, in a quasiordered semigroup, a slightly more general definition can be given.) We prove a number of results related to filters in a semigroup and the lattice of filters of a semigroup. For instance, we prove that every complete algebraic lattice can be the lattice of filters of a semigroup. We prove that every finite semigroup is a homomorphic image of a finite semigroup whose lattice of filters is boolean and which belongs to the pseudovariety generated by the original semigroup. We describe filter lattices of some well-known semigroups such as full transformation semigroups of finite sets (which are three-element chains) and free semigroups (which are boolean).     

Orthodox semigroups and permutation matchings

We determine when an orthodox semigroup S has a permutation that sends each member of S to one of its inverses and show that if such a permutation exists, it may be taken to be an involution. In the case of a finite orthodox semigroup the condition is an effective one involving Green’s relations on the combinatorial images of the principal factors of S. We also characterise some classes of semigroups via their permutation matchings.     

The Lattice of Full Subsemigroups of an Inverse Semigroup

In this paper, we consider the lattice Subf S of full subsemigroups of an inverse semigroup S. Our first main theorem states that for any inverse semigroup S, Subf S is a subdirect product of the lattices of full subsemigroups of its principal factors, so that Subf S is distributive [meet semidistributive, join semidistributive, modular, semimodular] if and only if the lattice of full subsemigroups of each principal factor is. To examine such inverse semigroups, therefore, we need essentially only consider those which are 0-simple. For a 0-simple inverse semigroup S (not a group with zero), we show that in fact each of modularity, meet semidistributivity and join semidistributivity of Subf S is equivalent to distributivity of S, that is, S is the combinatorial Brandt semigroup with exactly two nonzero idempotents and two nonidempotents. About semimodularity, however, we concentrate only on the completely 0-simple case, that is, Brandt semigroups. For a Brandt semigroup S (not a group with zero), semimodularity of Subf S is equivalent to distributivity of Subf S. Finally, we characterize an inverse semigroup S for which Subf S is a chain.     

Some open problems concerning relatively free and free profinite semigroups

Besides constituting an important and often crucial tool in studying semigroup varieties and pseudovarieties, relatively free and free profinite semigroups have proved to be of interest from many other natural standpoints. We present three groups of new problems concerning certain relatively free and free profinite semigroups and give background and motivation for them. The problems deal with the first-order theories of free profinite semigroups, the structure of free Burnside semigroups with commuting idempotents and of free Burnside inverse semigroups, and the representation of finitely generated free bands by order preserving transformations of a finite chain. April 19, 2001