All Questions
Tagged with semigroup-theory or semigroups-and-monoids
605 questions
78
votes
12
answers
12k
views
Why aren't representations of monoids studied so much?
It seems to me like every book on representation theory leaps into groups right away, even though the underlying ideas, such as representations, convolution algebras, etc. don't really make explicit ...
- 2,392
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 ...
- 41.8k
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
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
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 $...
- 41.8k
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
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
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 $x\in X$. ...
- 41.8k
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
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
22
votes
2
answers
977
views
Mapping from a finite index subgroup onto the whole group
Dear All,
here is the question:
Does there exist a finitely generated group $G$ with a proper subgroup $H$ of finite index, and an (onto) homomorphism $\phi:G\to G$ such that $\phi(H)=G$?
My guess ...
- 1,437
22
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Toposes (topoi) as classifying toposes of groupoids
A famous theorem of Joyal and Tierney says that each Grothendieck topos is equivalent to the classifying topos of a localic groupoid. I believe that Butz and Moerdijk have shown that if the topos has ...
- 38.6k
21
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Integer matrices with no integer eigenvalues
Let $$A = \begin{pmatrix} 3&1 \\ 0&1 \end{pmatrix}$$ and $$B = \begin{pmatrix} 1&0\\ 1&2 \end{pmatrix}$$ I want to show that the only elements of the semigroup generated by $A$ and $B$...
- 1,045
21
votes
1
answer
759
views
Extending $\Bbb N$ to a semiring with isomorphic additive and multiplicative structure
Seen $(\Bbb N,+,\cdot)$ as a semiring, is it possible to extend it to a semiring $(R,+,\cdot)$ so that the additive and multiplicative monoids become isomorphic? This means there is some monoid-...
- 13.6k
21
votes
1
answer
638
views
Grothendieck group of the Fibonacci monoid
Let's denote the Fibonacci numbers by $F_0=0,F_1=1,F_{n+2}=F_{n+1}+F_n \; \forall n \ge 0$. According to Zeckendorf's theorem, every positive integer can be represented uniquely as the sum of some (at ...
- 1,543
18
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Monoids of endomorphisms of nonisomorphic groups
Can monoids of endomorphisms of nonisomorphic groups be isomorphic ?
- 6,962
18
votes
1
answer
783
views
Are there any "simple" monoids with intermediate growth?
The discovery of the Grigorchuk group which has intermediate growth caused a number of other such groups to be found, but they are all fairly complicated, and as far as I know none of them are ...
- 1,947
17
votes
12
answers
4k
views
Why semigroups could be important?
There is known a lot about the use of groups -- they just really appear a lot, and appear naturally. Is there any known nice use of semigroups in Maths to sort of prove they are indeed important in ...
- 1,437
17
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Do these conditions on a semigroup define a group?
As is well known, if $S$ is a semigroup in which the equations $a=bx$ and $a=yb$ have solutions for all $a$ and $b$, then $S$ is a group. This question arose when someone misunderstood the conditions ...
- 7,207
17
votes
0
answers
536
views
Question about combinatorics on words
Let $\{a_1,a_2,...,a_n\}$ be an alphabet and let $\{u_1,...,u_n\}$ be words in this alphabet, and $a_i\mapsto u_i$ be a substitution $\phi$.
Question: Is there an algorithm to check if for some $m,k$...
user6976
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
16
votes
1
answer
548
views
Does every commutative variety of algebras have a cogenerator?
By a commutative variety $\mathcal{V}$ I mean a classical variety of algebras for some $(\Sigma,E)$, such that each pair of operations in $\Sigma$ commutes.
Equivalently (i) every interpretation of ...
- 1,271
15
votes
7
answers
973
views
Statements about groups proved using semigroups
Question. Has a statement about groups ever been proved using the theory of semigroups?
By "a proof using the theory of semigroups" I do not mean that some steps in the proof are in fact statements ...
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
2
answers
655
views
Indecomposable contracting maps on the integers
$\def\ZZ{\mathbb{Z}}$Call a function $f : \ZZ \to \ZZ$ "contracting" if
$$|f(j) - f(i)| \leq |j-i|$$
for all $i$, $j \in \ZZ$. The contracting functions form a monoid under composition; call ...
- 156k
15
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Monoids with infinite products
Say a monoid $M$ has infinite products if, for any (possibly infinite) sequence $(m_1,m_2,\ldots)$ of elements of $M$, there exists an element $m_1m_2\cdots\in M$, satisfying some good properties. ...
- 8,659
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
15
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Is the category of smooth manifolds equivalent to the opposite category of the category of commutative monoids of some additive symmetric monoidal category?
This is a followup to my previous question, which asked whether
the category of commutative or noncommutative C*-algebras or von Neumann algebras
is equivalent to the category of commutative or ...
- 37.8k
14
votes
4
answers
742
views
Prove or disprove: $R^{n+1} \supseteq R \cap R^2 \cap \cdots \cap R^n$ for every binary relation $R$ on a set of size $n$
Prove or disprove: $R^{n+1} \supseteq R \cap R^2 \cap \cdots \cap R^n$ for every binary relation $R$ on a set of size $n$.
I have verified the statement for $n \leq 4$ with a Mathematica code.
I have ...
- 143
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
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
1
answer
792
views
Associativity may fail by little?
It is a well-known result on group theory that if a group has many pairs of commuting elements then it is abelian.
This motivated the following pseudo-conjecture.
If a (possibly infinite) set $S$ ...
- 1,889
14
votes
1
answer
2k
views
When are epimorphisms of algebraic objects surjective?
Let $C$ be the category of $\tau$-algebras for some type $\tau$. Consider the statements:
Every monomorphism is regular.
Every epimorphism in $C$ is surjective.
It is easy to see that 1. implies 2. ...
- 63.1k
14
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Category without identities?
Just as a monoid is a category with a single object, a semigroup may be seen as a non-unital category, still with associative composition. Then an $S$-set for $S$ a semi-group can be seen as a functor ...
- 10.5k
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
13
votes
3
answers
8k
views
$fgf = f$, $gfg = g$, $fg$ not necessarily identity, what is this called?
A very simple question, I just totally forgot how it was called, and Google is not helping.
There's a pair of functions $f:X\to Y$, $g:Y\to X$.
$fgf = f$, $gfg = g$, but $fg$ and $gf$ don't need to ...
- 241
13
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Why is a monoid with closed symmetric monoidal module category commutative?
Given a symmetric monoidal category and a monoid object A in it, one can form the category of modules over this monoid object, i.e. objects are $A \otimes M \rightarrow M$ satisfying the natural ...
- 12.3k
13
votes
2
answers
316
views
Semigroup of differentiable functions on real line
Let $D(\mathbb R) $ be the set of all differentiable functions $f: \mathbb R \to \mathbb R$. Then obviously $D(\mathbb R)$ forms a semigroup under usual function composition. Can we characterize (up ...
- 235
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
13
votes
2
answers
713
views
How do you compute the space of lifts of an E-infinity map?
Let X, Y and B be $E_\infty$ spaces, and let $p: X \rightarrow Y$ and $f: B \rightarrow Y$ be $E_\infty$ maps. We can ask for the space of lifts of f across p, that is the space of $E_\infty$ maps $g:...
- 3,103
13
votes
1
answer
622
views
Ultracategories with one object
Historically, the theory of ultracategories was invented by Makkai to prove a strong conceptual completeness theorem for first-order logic, roughly: if $T$ and $S$ are two first-order theories such ...
- 133
13
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Coin problem with permutations
Let $a,b,c$ be positive integers with gcd$(a,b,c)=1$, and let $\mathbb{N}$ denote the set of nonnegative integers.
It is well known that $\mathbb{N} \setminus (a \mathbb{N}+b \mathbb{N} + c \mathbb{N}...
- 1,081
13
votes
0
answers
251
views
Is every simply connected finite complex the classifying space of a finite monoid
On page 323 of Fiedorowicz, "Classifying Spaces of Topological Monoids and Categories" it was stated that "it seems likely that any finite simply connected complex should [have the same weak homotopy ...
- 665
12
votes
1
answer
624
views
Stone–Čech compactification as a semigroup
Let $G$ be a topological group (we can assume that $G$ is countable and discrete) and let $\beta(G)$ be the Stone–Čech compactification of $G$. It is known that $\beta(G)$ can be turned into a left ...
12
votes
2
answers
785
views
Is the Petersen graph a "Cayley graph" of some more general group-like structure?
The Petersen graph is the smallest vertex-transitive graph which is not a Cayley graph. Is it the "Cayley graph" of some slightly more general group-like structure?
- 1,947
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
12
votes
0
answers
321
views
Combinatorial proof of invertibility of a symmetric matrix associated to the ring of matrices over a finite field
Let $F$ be a finite field of $q$ elements with characteristic $p$. Let $M_n(F)$ be the ring of $n\times n$ matrices over $F$. We define a $q^{n^2}\times q^{n^2}$ symmetric matrix $L$ over the ...
- 38.6k
11
votes
6
answers
1k
views
Computing the structure of the group completion of an abelian monoid, how hard can it be?
Cherry Kearton, Bayer-Fluckiger and others have results that say the monoid of isotopy classes of smooth oriented embeddings of $S^n$ in $S^{n+2}$ is not a free commutative monoid provided $n \geq 3$. ...
- 44.4k