We consider the preservation of the properties of automaticity and prefix-automaticity in Rees matrix semigroups over semigroupoids and small categories. Some of our results are new or improve upon existing results in the single-object case of Rees matrix semigroups over semigroups.
We study the relationship between the loop problem of a semigroup, and that of a Rees matrix construction (with or without zero) over the semigroup. This allows us to characterize exactly those completely zero-simple semigroups for which the loop problem is context-free. We also establish some results concerning loop problems for subsemigroups and Rees quotients.
We introduce a class of finite semigroups obtained by considering Rees quotients of numerical semigroups. Several natural questions concerning this class, as well as particular subclasses obtained by considering some special ideals, are answered while others remain open. We exhibit nice presentations for these semigroups and prove that the Rees quotients by ideals of N, the positive integers under addition, constitute a set of generators for the pseudovariety of commutative and nilpotent semigroups.
Complexity problems associated with finite rings and finite semigroups, particularly semigroups of matrices over a field and the Rees matrix semigroups, are examined. Let M_nF be the ring of n x n matrices over the finite field F and let T_nF be the multiplicative semigroup of n x n matrices over the finite field F. It is proved that for any finite field F and positive integer n >= 2, the polynomial equivalence problem for the T_n F is co-NPcomplete, thus POL-EQ_Σ(M_n F) (POL-EQ_Σis a polynomial equivalence problem for which polynomials are presented as sums of monomials) is also co-NP-complet…
We consider various decision problems for automatic semigroups, which involve the provision of an automatic structure as part of the problem instance. With mild restrictions on the automatic structure, which seem to be necessary to make the problem well-defined, the uniform word problem for semigroups described by automatic structures is decidable. Under the same conditions, we show that one can also decide whether the semigroup is completely simple or completely zero-simple; in the case that it is, one can compute a Rees matrix representation for the semigroup, in the form of a Rees matrix to…
We describe how to construct all inverse semigroups Morita equivalent to a given inverse semigroup. This is done by taking the maximum inverse images of the regular Rees matrix semigroups over the inverse semigroup where the sandwich matrix satisfies what we call the McAlister conditions.
Primitive representations of finite groups as well as primitive finite groups were classified in the O'Nan-Scott Theorem. In this paper we classify faithful finite primitive semigroup representations. To each finite primitive representation, we associate an invariant, a finite dimensional matirix with entries in a primitive finite groups representation. To a large extent, this matrix determines the representation. In later papers in this series the invariant is further explored. Our primitivity resoullts rely on two main ideas, one of which is a small but important part of the theory of tame a…
Cross-connection theory developed by Nambooripad is the construction of a semigroup from its principal left (right) ideals using categories. We briefly describe the general cross-connection theory for regular semigroups and use it to study the {normal categories} arising from the semigroup $Sing(V)$ of singular linear transformations on an arbitrary vectorspace $V$ over a field $K$. There is an inbuilt notion of duality in the cross-connection theory, and we observe that it coincides with the conventional algebraic duality of vector spaces. We describe various cross-connections between these c…
Using a variant of Schreier's Theorem, and the theory of Green's relations, we show how to reduce the computation of an arbitrary subsemigroup of a finite regular semigroup to that of certain associated subgroups. Examples of semigroups to which these results apply include many important classes: transformation semigroups, partial permutation semigroups and inverse semigroups, partition monoids, matrix semigroups, and subsemigroups of finite regular Rees matrix and $0$-matrix semigroups over groups. For any subsemigroup of such a semigroup, it is possible to, among other things, efficiently co…
We fix a path model for the space of filters of the inverse semigroup $\mathcal{S}_Λ$ associated to a left cancellative small category $Λ$. Then, we compute its tight groupoid, thus giving a representation of its $C^*$-algebra as a (full) groupoid algebra. Using it, we characterize when these algebras are simple. Also, we determine amenability of the tight groupoid under mild, reasonable hypotheses.
We study simple and projective modules of a certain class of Ehresmann semigroups, a well-studied generalization of inverse semigroups. Let $S$ be a finite right (left) restriction Ehresmann semigroup whose corresponding Ehresmann category is an EI-category, that is, every endomorphism is an isomorphism. We show that the collection of finite right restriction Ehresmann semigroups whose categories are EI is a pseudovariety. We prove that the simple modules of the semigroup algebra $\Bbbk S$ (over any field $\Bbbk$) are formed by inducing the simple modules of the maximal subgroups of $S$ via th…
This paper concerns a number of diagram categories, namely the partition, planar partition, Brauer, partial Brauer, Motzkin and Temperley-Lieb categories. If $\mathcal K$ denotes any of these categories, and if $σ\in\mathcal K_{nm}$ is a fixed morphism, then an associative operation $\star_σ$ may be defined on $\mathcal K_{mn}$ by $α\star_σβ=ασβ$. The resulting semigroup $\mathcal K_{mn}^σ=(\mathcal K_{mn},\star_σ)$ is called a sandwich semigroup. We conduct a thorough investigation of these sandwich semigroups, with an emphasis on structural and combinatorial properties such as Green's relati…
This paper presents a unified framework for determining the congruences on a number of monoids and categories of transformations, diagrams, matrices and braids, and on all their ideals. The key theoretical advances present an iterative process of stacking certain normal subgroup lattices on top of each other to successively build congruence lattices of a chain of ideals. This is applied to several specific categories of: transformations; order/orientation preserving/reversing transformations; partitions; planar/annular partitions; Brauer, Temperley--Lieb and Jones partitions; linear and projec…
Fix (not necessarily distinct) objects $i$ and $j$ of a locally small category $S$, and write $S_{ij}$ for the set of all morphisms $i\to j$. Fix a morphism $a\in S_{ji}$, and define an operation $\star_a$ on $S_{ij}$ by $x\star_ay=xay$ for all $x,y\in S_{ij}$. Then $(S_{ij},\star_a)$ is a semigroup, known as a sandwich semigroup, and denoted by $S_{ij}^a$. This article develops a general theory of sandwich semigroups in locally small categories. We begin with structural issues such as regularity, Green's relations and stability, focusing on the relationships between these properties on $S_{ij…
Fix sets $X$ and $Y$, and write $\mathcal{PT}_{XY}$ for the set of all partial functions $X\to Y$. Fix a partial function $a:Y\to X$, and define the operation $\star_a$ on $\mathcal{PT}_{XY}$ by $f\star_ag=fag$ for $f,g\in\mathcal{PT}_{XY}$. The sandwich semigroup $(\mathcal{PT}_{XY},\star_a)$ is denoted $\mathcal{PT}_{XY}^a$. We apply general results from Part I to thoroughly describe the structural and combinatorial properties of $\mathcal{PT}_{XY}^a$, as well as its regular and idempotent-generated subsemigroups, Reg$(\mathcal{PT}_{XY}^a)$ and $\mathbb E(\mathcal{PT}_{XY}^a)$. After describ…