Rank Properties of the Semigroup of Singular Transformations on a Finite Set

It is known that the semigroup Sing _n of all singular self-maps of X _n  = {1,2,…, n} has rank n(n ? 1)/2. The idempotent rank, defined as the smallest number of idempotents generating Sing _n , has the same value as the rank. (See Gomes and Howie, 1987 Gomes , G. M. S. , Howie , J. M. ( 1987 ). On the rank of certain finite semigroups of transformations . Math. Proc. Cambridge Phil. Soc. 101 : 395 – 303 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar].) Idempotents generating Sing _n can be seen as special cases (with m = r = 2) of (m, r)-path-cycles, as defined in Ayi k et al. (2005 Ay?k , G. , Ay?k , H. , Howie , J. M. ( 2005 ). On factorisations and generators in transformation semigroups . Semigroup Forum 70 : 225 – 237 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). The object of this article is to show that, for fixed m and r, the (m, r)-rank of Sing _n , defined as the smallest number of (m, r)-path-cycles generating Sing _n , is once again n(n ? 1)/2.