Amenability constants for semilattice algebras

For any finite commutative idempotent semigroup S, a semilattice, we show how to compute the amenability constant of its semigroup algebra ℓ ¹(S). This amenability constant is always of the form 4n+1. We then show that these give lower bounds to amenability constants of certain Banach algebras graded over semilattices. We also give example of a commutative Clifford semigroups G _n whose semigroup algebras ℓ ¹(G _n ) admit amenability constants of the form 41+4(n−1)/n. We also show there is no commutative semigroup whose semigroup algebra has an amenability constant between 5 and 9. N. Spronk’s research was supported by NSERC Grant 312515-05.