Rostock. Math. Kolloq.

49, 98{104 (1995)

Subject Classi cation (AMS)

20M10

Reinhard Strecker

H?commutative ?semigroups
Dedicated to the professors of mathematics L. Berg, W. Engel, G. Pazderski, and H.- W. Stolle.

ABSTRACT. A ?semigroup is a semigroup whose lattice of congruences is a chain with respect to inclusion. Schein 9] and Tamura 11] have investigated commutative ?semigroups, Trotter 13] exponential, Nagy 4] weakly exponential and Bonzini and Cherubini Spoletini 2] nite ?semigroups. The pupose of the present paper is to investigate archimedean weakly commutative and H?commutative ?semigroups. KEY WORDS. weakly commutative semigroups, archimedean semigroups

1 Weakly commutative semigroups

The theory of congruences on semigroups is fundamental and the study of semigroups, whose lattice of congruences is simple (in some sense), is therefore relevant. Important semigroups such as the full transformation semigroup, symmetric inverse semigroups and symmetric groups, on nite sets, are all ?semigroups (see 3], vol. II, page 247 and 12], examples 1 and 2). A semigroup S is weakly commutative if, for each a; b 2 S; there are x; y 2 S and an integer k > 0 such that (ab)k = xa = by ( 6]). A semigroup S is H?commutative if, for each a; b 2 S , there are w; z 2 S 1 with ab = baw = zba 14]. Remark: A H?commutative semigroup is weakly commutative. Groups are H?commutative semigroups and nilsemigroups are weakly commutative. A semigroup S is archimedean if for each a; b 2 S there is an integer n > 0 , such that an 2 SbS . An archimedean semigroup is semilattice indecomposable. A semigroup S is right archimedean 8] if for each a; b 2 S there is an element u 2 S and an integer i such that ai = bu: Left archimedean semigroups are de ned analogously. Clearly, every right archimedean semigroup is archimedean.

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Lemma 1

archimedean.

S is a weakly commutative archimedean semigroup i S is right and left

Proof: See 1], exercise 4, page 34.

Lemma 2

A weakly commutative archimedean semigroup S has at most one idempotent.

Proof: Let e and f be idempotents in S . By Lemma 1 there is an element x with e = fx

and therefore e = fx = ffx = fe. By Lemma 1, S is left archimedean, hence there is an element y with ye = f . It follows that f = ye = yee = fe and e = f .
A semigroup S is a weakly commutative archimedean semigroup with an idempotent i S is an ideal extension of a group G by a nilsemigroup N .

Theorem 3

tent e. Then, by Lemma 2, S has only one idempotent e. Let G be the maximal subgroup of S . For each g 2 G and a 2 S we have ag = age. Since S is weakly commutative, there is an element w 2 S and an integer n > 0 such that (ag)n = gw: Then e(ag)n = egw = gw = (ag)n: By Lemma 1, S is right archimedean, hence there is an element u such that agu = e: By multiplikation on the right by u it follows from e(ag)n = (ag)n and age = ag that e(ag)n?1 = (ag)n?1: Repeating the argument gives the equation e(ag) = ag: We have that eue is the right inverse of ag: Since S ist left archimedean, a similar argument gives that eue is the left inverse of ag and ag 2 G; then G is a left ideal of S . In a similar way it follows that G is a right ideal. By the archimedean property and Lemma 1 for each element a 2 S there is a v 2 S and an integer n > 0 such that an = ev 2 G: Thus G is an ideal, therefore the Rees factor semigroup S=G is a nilsemigroup. 2) Conversely, suppose that S is an ideal extension of a group G by a nilsemigroup N . Then for each a; b 2 S there are intergers k; l; m 2 such that ak = g1; bl = g2; (ab)m = ? ? g3; g1; g2; g3 2 G: Note that bl = g2 = g1g1 1 g2 = a(ak?1)g1 1bl; therefore S is right archimedean. We can prove, in a similar way, that S is left archimedean. Note that (ab)m = g3 = ? ? ? ? ? g2g2 1g3 = blg2 1 g3 = b(bl?1g2 1g3) and (ab)m = g3 = g3g1 1g1 = (g3g1 1ak?1)a; therefore S is weakly commutative.

Proof: 1) Suppose that S is a weakly commutative archimedean semigroup with an idempo-

Theorem 4

A semigroup S is a H?commutative archimedean semigroup with an idempotent i S is an ideal extension of a group G by a commutative nilsemigroup.

Proof: Suppose that S is a H?commutative archimedean semigroup with idempotent e. Then for each a; b 2 S there are w; z 2 S 1 such that ab = baw; ba = abz: Hence

ab = baw = abzw and ab = ab(zw)n for any n. Since the Rees factor semigroup S=G is a nilsemigroup, by Theorem 3, we have ab = ba or ab and ba 2 G, so S=G is commutative.

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Conversely, suppose S is an ideal extension of a commutative nilsemigroup by a group G. Then, by Theorem 3, we have to prove only that S is H?commutative. If ab 2 G for a; b 2 S = then ab = ba. If ab 2 G then ba 2 G and we have ab = b(a(ba)?1a)b = (ab(ba)?1b)a and S is H?commutative.

Proposition 5

A weakly commutative archimedean ?semigroup with idempotent e is either a ?nilsemigroup or a ?group.

Proof: By Theorem 3, S is an ideal extension of a group G by a nilsemigroup N . Assume S is not a group, then jN j > 1: De ne a relation by a b i ae = be: Then is an equivalence relation which is left compatible and a b implies ag = bg for all g 2 G. For all x 2 S; xe = g 2 G and therefore a b implies axe = bxe; thus is right compatible. The restriction of to G is the equality. By de nition of a ?semigroup the Rees congruence G determined by G and the relation are comparable. Assume jGj > 1: Then is contained in G and so is the equality on S=G and therefore is the equality. For s 2 G we have = se = h 2 G: Therefore se = he; s h; s = h; in contradiction to s 2 G; h 2 G: Therefore = jGj = 1; G = feg and S is a nilsemigroup.

Lemma 6

If a weakly commutative archimedean semigroup S contains an element a and elements x; y 2 S 1 with xy 2 S such that a = xay, then S contains an idempotent.

for all integers n > 0: By Lemma 1, S is right and left archimedean. Hence there are elements z; w with az = xn and wa = yn for a suitable n. We have a = azawa, a is a regular element and azaw is idempotent.

Proof: Assume x; y 2 S: The proof is similar if one of x or y is 1. If a = xay then a = xnayn

Corollary 7
idempotent.

A H?commutative archimedean semigroup is commutative or contains an

Proof: If ab 6= ba then there are z1; z2 2 S such that ab = baz1; ba = abz2: This implies
ab = abz2z1 and by Lemma 6, S contains an idempotent.
In a weakly commutative archimedean semigroup S without idempotent, Green's relation J is the equality.

Lemma 8

Proof: If S 1aS 1 = S 1bS 1 then a = ubv; b = xab for some x; y; u; v 2 S 1: Hence a = uxayv: Assume a = b then uv 2 S; xy 2 S; therefore uxyv 2 S . By Lemma 6, S contains an 6
idempotent, which is a contradiction.

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2 Weakly commutative and H?commutative ?semigroups Proposition 9 A weakly commutative archimedean ?semigroup S without an idempotent is cancellative.

bn+1 = bn a = abn for some n, then is a congruence on a weakly commutative semigroup. We show that in our case is the equality. Denote by x the Rees congruence modulo the ideal I = S 1xS 1: x is comparable with : Assume x : Since x xx2 we have x x2 and xn+1 = xn x2 = xn+2 for some n. Then xn+1 is idempotent, a contradiction. Therefore we have x for all x 2 S: If x y and x 6= y then y 2 S 1xS 1 and x 2 S 1 yS 1; so y = uxv; x = wyz and y = uwyzv; where u; v; w; z 2 S 1 and uvwz 2 S: By Lemma 6, S contains an idempotent, a contradiction, so is the equality. Therefore S is separative (in the sense of 6]), archimedean and by 6] cancellative.

Proof: In 7] it was shown that if the relation is de ned by a b i an+1 = anb = ban and

Corollary 10

Any H?commutative archimedean ?semigroup S has an idempotent.

a contradiction. In 7] it was shown that a weakly commutative semigroup is a semilattice of archimedean semigroups, and in 11] it was shown that a ?semigroup is either semilattice indecomposable or the set-theoretical union of two semilattice indecomposable semigroups S0 and S1 with S0S1 S0; S1S0 S0; S0 \ S1 = ;: In the following we denote by S a weakly commutative semilattice decomposable ?semigroup and by S0; S1 the archimedean components as above.

Proof: If S has no idempotent then S is commutative. By 9] or 11] then S has idempotents,

Lemma 11

a) S1 is a weakly commutative archimedean ?semigroup. b) S0 is weakly commutative and archimedean.

Proof: a) S1 is a ?semigroup because the Rees factor semigroup S=S0 is a ?semigroup. b) For each a; b 2 S there is an integer n and an element w 2 S with (ab)n = bw: By multiplikation it follows that (ab)n+1 = bwab; and S0 is an ideal, therefore wab 2 S0: Remark. S0 is not necessary a ?semigoup. Proposition 12 If S1 is a nilsemigroup, then jS1j = 1: Proof: Let e be the idempotent of S1: Then S0 feg is an ideal I of S . The Rees
congruence modulo I is comparable with the semilattice congruence. This implies that is the universal ralation and S1 = feg:

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Reinhard Strecker
If S1 has an idempotent e, then S1 is a ?group. If S0 contains an idempotent, then S0 is a nilsemigroup.

Corollary 13

Proposition 14

Proof: This follows immediately from Proposition 5 , Lemma 11 and Proposition 12. Proof: By theorem 3 S0 is an ideal extension of a group Ge by a nil semigroup (e is the
unit of Ge ): Ge is an ideal in S , since Ge = (Ge )2. We denote the Rees congruence of S modulo Ge by and de ne the relation as follows

a b i

ae = be:

Then is an equivalence relation and is left compatible with multiplikation. For all x 2 S; xe is an element from Ge , therefore xe = xee = exe and a b implies axe = aexe = bexe = bxe; so is right compatible. Suppose : For all x 2 S1; xe = xee which means that x xe: Then for all g; h 2 Ge we have ge = he = g = h; Ge = feg and S0 is a nilsemigroup.

Proposition 15
of S .

If S is H?commutative, then S1 is a ?group and his unit is the unit

Proof: By Corollaries 10 and 13 S1 is a ?group. Let e be the unit of S1. Then eSe is an ideal I of S , because S is H?commutative. e 2 S and the Rees congruence is comparable

Lemma 16
Proof:

with the semilattice congruence. Therefore eSe = S and e is the unit of S .

If S is H?commutative, then S0 contains an idempotent.

with H, then S0 is a H?class or jS1j = 1: If S0 is a H?class, then S 1a = S 1a2 for all a 2 S: Then there exists s 2 S with a = sa2 and y 2 S with sa = ay = sa2y = sasa and sa is idempotent. If jS1j = 1 then S0 is a H?commutative archimedean ?semigroup. By Corollary 10, S0 has an idempotent.

Green's relation H in a H?commutative semigroup is a congruence 14] and S1 is a group, hence S1 has only one H?class. If the Rees congruence modulo S0 is comparable

Theorem 17
S=
adjoined.

G0 ,

Let S be a H?commutative semilattice decomposable ?semigroup. Then a ?group with zero adjoined, or S = N 1 , a commutative nilsemigroup with unit

Proof: By Proposition 15, S1 is a group and the identity of S1 is the identity of S and,

by Lemma 16, S0 contains an idempotent 0 and S0 is a nilsemigroup see Proposition 14]. Consider the relation a b i there is a g 2 S1 with a = gb:

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The relation is re exive by Proposition 15, symmetric, transitive and right compatible. For every x 2 S there are u; v 2 S = S 1 with xg = ugx; gx = vgx: Hence xg = ugx = uvxg = (uv)nxg; and S0 is nilpotent, therefore u; v can be chosen from S1, and we have xa = xgb = ugxb with u 2 S1, so is left compatible. S1 is a congruence class modulo and is comparable with the Rees congruence modulo S0. Because S0 is a nilsemigroup, we have jS j = 1 or S0 = N is a single class modulo : In the last case for every s0 2 S0 there is an g 2 S 1 with gs0 = g?1 gs0 = es0 = s0: Therefore jS0j = 1 and S = G0: If S = N 1 then for a; b 2 N there are x and x0 with ab = xba and ba = x0ab: This implies ab = xx0ab and ab = (xx0)nab. If x or x0 2 S0 then (xx0)n = 0 for suitable n ; ab = ba = 0. If x and x0 2 S1; then x = x0 = e and S0 is commutative.

References
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11] Tamura, T. : Commutative semigroups whose lattice of congruences is a chain. Bull. Soc. Math. France 97, 369{380 (1969) 12] Tamura, T. and Trotter, P.G. : Completely semisimple inverse ?semigroups admitting principal series. Paci c J. Math. 68, 515{525 (1977) 13] Trotter, P.G. : Exponential ?semigroups. Semigroup Forum 12, 313{331 (1976) 14] Tully, E.J.jr. : H?commutative semigroups in which each homomorphism is uniquely determined by its kernel. Paci c J. Math. 45, 669{681 (1973)

received: September 13, 1995 Author:

Prof. Dr. R. Strecker Universitat Rostock Fachbereich Mathematik Universitatsplatz 1 18051 Rostock Germany