All Questions
Tagged with semigroup-theory or semigroups-and-monoids
98 questions
9
votes
1
answer
889
views
Combinatorics for the action of Virasoro / Kac–Schwarz operators: partition polynomials of free probability theory
In the background sections below, I establish the relations among characterizations of the action of Virasoro / Kac–Schwarz operators of 2D gravity models presented in terms of Laurent series by ...
- 10.5k
29
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Is the Golomb countable connected space topologically rigid?
The Golomb space $\mathbb G$ is the set of positive integers endowed with the topology generated by the base consisting of the arithmetic progressions $a+b\mathbb N_0$ with relatively prime $a,b$ and $...
- 41.9k
5
votes
1
answer
243
views
Terminology for a monoid $H$ s.t. $xy \in H^\times$ only if $x, y \in H^\times$
The title has it all. Is there any consolidated terminology for referring to a (multiplicative) monoid $H$ such that $xy \in H^\times$ (if and) only if $x, y \in H^\times$? Here is a short list of ...
- 10.5k
27
votes
13
answers
4k
views
Homological algebra for commutative monoids?
Homological algebra for abelian groups is a standard tool in many fields of mathematics. How much carries over to the setting of commutative monoids (with unit)? It seems like there is a notion of ...
- 27.5k
2
votes
1
answer
211
views
Terminology for a monoid $(H, \cdot)$ s.t. $ax=a$ or $xa =a$ only if $x$ is a unit
Let $(H, \cdot)$ be a (multiplicative) monoid. Is there any consolidated name for the following Property $\text{(P)}$, or for the class of monoids for which it is satisfied?
$$\text{(P) If }\,xy = x\...
- 10.5k
42
votes
5
answers
4k
views
What are the main structure theorems on finitely generated commutative monoids?
I should read J. C. Rosales and P. A. García-Sánchez's book Finitely Generated Commutative Monoids and L. Redei's book The Theory of Finitely Generated Commutative Semigroups. I haven't. But here's ...
- 22.3k
25
votes
2
answers
1k
views
The number of polynomials on a finite group
A function $f:X\to X$ on a group $X$ is called a polynomial if there exist $n\in\mathbb N=\{1,2,3,\dots\}$ and elements $a_0,a_1,\dots,a_n\in X$ such that $f(x)=a_0xa_1x\cdots xa_n$ for all $x\in X$. ...
- 41.9k
13
votes
1
answer
1k
views
For what sets $X$ do there exist a pair of functions from $X$ to $X$ with the identity being the only function that commutes with both?
It is not too difficult to show that if $X$ is an infinite set, then there exists a two-element subset of the group $\operatorname{Sym}(X)$ with trivial centralizer iff $\lvert X\rvert \leq \lvert\...
- 328
9
votes
4
answers
1k
views
When $X \times Y \cong X \times Z$ implies $Y \cong Z$ (in the category of finite topological spaces)
The title has it all. I'm looking for a reference to the following:
Q. Let $X, Y, Z$ be finite, non-empty (topological) spaces. When does $X \times Y \cong X \times Z$ imply $Y \cong Z$ (in the ...
- 10.5k
5
votes
1
answer
597
views
Can every cancellative invertible-free monoid be embedded in a group?
A monoid is invertible-free if $xy=1$ implies $x=y=1$ for all $x,y$.
Question: Can every cancellative invertible-free monoid be embedded in a group?
I'm fairly sure that a quotient of the free product ...
13
votes
3
answers
978
views
Model Structure/Homotopy Pushouts in topological monoids?
Let $\mathsf C$ be the category of topological monoids, that is, the category of monoids in $(\textsf{Top}, \times)$.
Can the model category structure on $\textsf{Top}$ (Serre fibrations, ...
- 1,033
8
votes
2
answers
596
views
If a semigroup embeds into a group, then is it a subdirect product of groups?
The title has it all:
Q. If a semigroup $S$ embeds into a group, then is $S$ (isomorphic to) a subdirect product of groups?
If yes, then $S$ is a subdirect product of subdirectly irreducible groups,...
- 10.5k
8
votes
1
answer
322
views
Does every cancellative duo semigroup embed into a group?
Prompted by the comments to a recent answer by YCor to a related question (here), I'd like to ask the following:
Q. Does every cancellative duo semigroup embed into a group?
A (multiplicatively ...
- 10.5k
7
votes
3
answers
525
views
Is the class of inverse semigroups globally determined?
This question is a follow-up to this one I asked on math.stackexchange. I've decided to ask here because I believe this is a research-level question. I'm sorry if I'm wrong -- I'm not a researcher ...
- 1,445
7
votes
1
answer
350
views
Pushouts of injective monoid homomorphisms
Given a pushout square in the category of monoids
$$\begin{array}{ccc}A & \rightarrow & M \\ \downarrow && \downarrow \\ N & \rightarrow & P\end{array}$$such that $A \to M$ and ...
- 5,482
7
votes
2
answers
544
views
A linearly orderable monoid which does not embed into a linearly orderable group
It is known (after an example of A.I. Mal'cev) that there exist cancellative semigroups which do not embed into a group. On the other hand, it is not difficult to see that every linearly orderable ...
- 10.5k
4
votes
1
answer
169
views
Is every invertible-free cancellative monoid action represented by "shifting" certain maps?
[Note: This question is closed. It's current content reflects a draft of a potential new question, modified from the original by adding conditions to the premises; see comments]
Let $W,X$ be ...
4
votes
1
answer
364
views
Values attained by the coheight of $(H \setminus H^\times)^k$ as a function of $H$ and $k$
Edit (Apr 24, 2017). I'm updating this post in the light of the latest developments of a related thread.
Let $H$ be a multiplicatively written, commutative monoid, and set $M := H \setminus H^\times$,...
- 10.5k
3
votes
2
answers
165
views
Weak ideal systems $r$ for which the $r$-coheight satisfies a kind of triangle inequality
Let $H$ be a multiplicatively written, commutative monoid with identity $1_H$, and let $\mathcal P(H)$ be the power set of $H$. If $X, Y \subseteq H$, we will set $$XY := \{xy: x \in X,\, y \in Y\}.$$
...
- 10.5k
3
votes
1
answer
122
views
A BF-monoid $H$ s.t. $H^\times$ is not divisor-closed
Let $H$ be a (multiplicative) monoid, and denote by $H^\times$ the set of units of $H$ and by $\mathcal A(H)$ the set of atoms of $H$ (let me recall that an element $a \in H$ is an atom if (i) $a \...
- 10.5k
3
votes
1
answer
203
views
Centralizer of a single element in the monoid of self-maps of a set
This is a follow-up to this question: For what sets $X$ do there exist a pair of functions from $X$ to $X$ with the identity being the only function that commutes with both?
Let $X$ be a set, and $X^...
- 63.9k
1
vote
0
answers
256
views
partially commutative monoid [closed]
Let $G$ be a simple graph with vertex $I$ and edge set $E$. I am defining $M(G)$ to be the quotient of the free monoid $I^*$ on $I$ by the relations $ab=ba$ and $c^2 = 1$ whenever $\{a,b\} \notin E(G)$...
- 1,269
1
vote
1
answer
142
views
Congruences that aren't "finite from above," take 2: semigroups
This is a hopefully less trivial version of this question. Briefly, say that a congruence is parafinite if it is the largest congruence contained in some equivalence relation with finitely many ...
- 20.5k
51
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Is each squared finite group trivial?
A semigroup $S$ is defined to be squared if there exists a subset $A\subseteq S$ such that the function $A\times A\to S$, $(x,y)\mapsto xy$, is bijective.
Problem: Is each squared finite group ...
- 41.9k
41
votes
4
answers
2k
views
What is the probability two random maps on n symbols commute?
It is well known that two randomly chosen permutations of $n$ symbols commute with probability $p_n/n!$ where $p_n$ is the number of partitions of $n$. This is a special case of the fact that in a ...
- 38.6k
33
votes
0
answers
2k
views
Is there a (discrete) monoid M injecting into its group completion G for which BM is not homotopy equivalent to BG?
For a (discrete) monoid $M$, the classifying space $BM$ is the
geometric realization of the nerve of the one object category whose
hom-set is $M$. (This definition gives the usual classfiying space
...
- 5,309
32
votes
5
answers
9k
views
How many binary operations are associative?
Let $X$ be a finite set of $n$ elements, and consider a binary operation $\odot: X \times X \rightarrow X$. There are $n^{n^2}$ such binary operations, as the $n \times n$ table entries can each
be ...
- 151k
25
votes
3
answers
1k
views
What spaces $X$ do have $\text{End}(X) \cong \text{End}(\mathbb{R})$?
This is a follow-up on the following question. Let $\text{End}(X)$ denote the endomorphism monoid of a topological space $X$ (that is, the collection of all continuous maps $f:X\to X$ with composition)...
- 48.9k
24
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Lie groups vs Lie monoids
Does there exist a well developed theory of a class of objects which might rightfully be called Lie monoids? By this I mean with axioms similar to those of Lie groups, but with the axiomatic existence ...
- 2,099
24
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Non-abelian Grothendieck group
By general nonsense the forgetful functor from groups to monoids has a left adjoint. It maps a monoid $(X,\cdot,1)$ to the free group on $\{\underline{x} : x \in X\}$ modulo the relations $\underline{...
- 63.1k
16
votes
2
answers
1k
views
The symmetric monoidal category of finite sets
It is well-known that the (augmented) simplex category is the universal monoidal category with a monoid object. What about a commutative analogue? Consider the category $\mathsf{FinSet}$ of finite ...
- 63.1k
15
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Exact sequence of monoids
What is the right definition of an exact sequence of monoid homomorphisms?
I can't seem to find a consistent in my searches; indeed Balmer (Remark 2.6,
http://www.math.ucla.edu/~balmer/Pubfile/...
- 3,009
15
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Automorphisms of $P(\Bbb N)$
I believe I've proved that the power semigroup of non-negative integers with addition has a trivial automorphism group. The proof is a bit long, completely elementary and rather unremarkable (as the ...
- 1,445
14
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Economical hard word problem
Can anyone give me an example of a very simple word problem, where by "simple" I mean that it has very few generators and relations, that is nevertheless insoluble. To make the question easier, I am ...
- 29k
14
votes
2
answers
984
views
Recovering a monoidal category from its category of monoids
What kind of additional properties and/or structures one needs to impose on the category
of (commutative or noncommutative) monoids of some monoidal category
so that one can recover the original ...
- 37.8k
12
votes
1
answer
744
views
Is the following construction of the 0-Hecke monoid (well) known?
Let W be a Coxeter group with Coxeter generators S. The corresponding 0-Hecke monoid H(W) has generating set S, the braid relations of W and the relations that each element of S is an idempotent. If ...
- 38.6k
11
votes
3
answers
942
views
What is the smallest variety of algebras containing all fields?
A field is a ring whose nonzero elements form a commutative group under multiplication. A field is also a commutative inverse semigroup with respect to multiplication. The unique multiplicative ...
- 2,464
11
votes
2
answers
574
views
Identifying a group without 2-torsion
Suppose we have a finitely presented group $G$ with solvable word problem. (For instance, the command RWSGroup in Magma terminates giving us a finite [but possibly gigantic] rewrite system.) Is there ...
- 18.7k
11
votes
3
answers
1k
views
The concept "conjugate class" in monoids.
Is there any concept in monoids that is similar to the concept "conjugate class" in groups? For example, are there any such similar concept in symmetric inverse monoids? Thank you very much.
- 6,201
10
votes
2
answers
716
views
On functors preserving monoid objects
If $C$ is a monoidal category, we can define the category $Mon(C)$ of monoids in $C$; call $U_C : Mon(C) \to C$ the forgetful functor. I'm interested in functors between categories of monoids:
...
- 613
10
votes
1
answer
409
views
Does every set have a rigid self-map?
The question was asked on Mathematics Stackexchange
but has remained unanswered so far.
A self-map is a map $f:X\to X$ from a set $X$ to itself. There is an obvious notion of morphism, and thus of ...
- 4,416
10
votes
1
answer
274
views
A flatness result of Fiedorwicz for amalgamated free products of monoids in connection with classifying spaces of monoids
In Lemma 5.2(a) of Z. Fiedorowicz, Classifying Spaces of Topological Monoids and Categories American Journal of Mathematics Vol. 106, No. 2 (Apr., 1984), pp. 301-350 the author proves the following.
...
- 38.6k
10
votes
1
answer
440
views
Reference for a generalization of Γ-spaces to monoidal model categories
Γ-spaces were introduced by Segal in 1969 as models for what can be now described
as commutative ∞-monoids and ∞-groups in cartesian symmetric monoidal ∞-categories, e.g., E_∞-spaces and connective ...
- 37.8k
10
votes
0
answers
314
views
How much do idempotent ultrafilters generate in terms of semigroups?
It is known that the set of ultrafilters on, say, the natural numbers $\mathbb{N}$, can naturally be endowed with the structure of a compact topological left semigroup (which fails to be anything ...
- 1,914
10
votes
1
answer
673
views
Given any finite relation $R$ what is the cardinality of $\langle R\rangle=\{\underbrace{R\circ R\cdots \circ R}_{n\text{ times}}:n\in\mathbb{N}\}$?
Given any finite relation $R$ if we let $\circ$ denote relation composition and define $R^n=\underbrace{R\circ R\cdots \circ R}_{n\text{ times}}$ then does there exist an explicit formula for the ...
- 2,506
10
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Who invented Monoid?
I was trying to find (and failed) the original author of either
the concept of Monoid (set with binary associative operation and identity)
the name (which sounds french ? and also Dioid (for what ...
- 203
10
votes
5
answers
1k
views
On the notion of partial semigroup
A partial binary operation on a set $X$ is just a (partial) function $\varphi: X \times X \rightharpoonup X$ (I'm using \rightharpoonup for partial maps), and a partial magma is a pair $\mathbb M = (M,...
- 10.5k
9
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What is the free monoidal category generated by a monoid?
In several places in a segment on cohomology (for example, here (PDF)) in John Baez's online lecture notes for a course in 2007 on quantum gravity, much is made of the fact that the simplex category $...
- 1,446
9
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Structure Theorem for finitely generated commutative cancellative monoids?
Is there a Structure Theorem for finitely generated commutative cancellative monoids?
Of course they can be densely embedded into a finitely generated abelian group, whose structure is known. Also, ...
- 63.1k
8
votes
1
answer
238
views
Functions over monoids which factor in two different ways
This is a follow-up question to this MO question, which was asked by Richard Stanley in a comment to my answer there.
Let $S$ be a commutative monoid and $f(x_1, \dots, x_n)$ be a function from $S^n$ ...
- 32.1k