The n–th member of the growth sequence of a globally idempotent finite semigroup without identity element is at least 2n. (This had been conjectured by J. Wiegold.)

A semigroup S is called E-inversive if for every a ∈ S ther is an x ∈ S such that (ax)2 = ax. A construction of all E-inversive subdirect products of two E-inversive semigroups is given using the concept of subhomomorphism introduced by McAlister and Reilly for inverse semigroups. As an application, E-unitary covers for an E-inversive semigroup are found, in particular for those whose maximum group homomorphic image is a given group. For this purpose, the explicit form of the least group congruence on an arbitrary E-inversive semigroup is given. The special case of full subdirect products of a semilattice and a group (that is, containing all indempotents of the direct product) is investigated and, following an idea of Petrich, a construction of all these semigroups is provided. Finally, all periodic semigroups which are subdirect products of a semilattice or a band with a group are characterized.

It is shown that a so-called shortly connected combinatorial inverse semigroup is strongly lattice-determined “modulo semilattices”. One of the consequences of this theorem is the known fact that a simple inverse semigroup with modular lattice of full inverse subsemigroups is strongly lattice-determined [7]. The partial automorphism semigroup of an inverse semigroup S consists of all isomorphisms between inverse subsemigroups of S. It is proved that if S is a shortly connected combinatorial inverse semigroup, T an inverse semigroup and the partial automorphism semigroups of S and T are isomorphic, then either S and T are isomorphic or they are dually isomorphic chains (with respect to the natural partial order); moreover, any isomorphism between the partial automorphism semigroups of S and T is induced either by an isomorphism or, if S and T are dually isomorphic chains, by a dual isomorphism between S and T. Counter-examples are constructed to demonstrate that the assumptions about S being shortly connected and combinatorial are essential.

It has been shown by one of the authors that the system of idempotents of monoids on a group G of Lie type with Dynkin diagram Γ can be classified by the following data: a partially ordered set U with maximum element 1 and a map λ: U → 2Γ with λ(1) = Γ and with the property that for all J1, J2, J3 ∈ U with J1 > J2 > J3, any connected component of λ(J2) is contained in either λ(J1) or λ(J3). In this paper we show that λ comes from a regular monoid if and only if the following conditions are satisfied: (1) U is a ∧-semilattice; (2) If J1, J2 ∈ U, then λ(J1)∧ λ(J2) λ(J1 ∧ J2); (3) If θ ∈ Γ, J ∈ U, then max{J1 ∈ U|J1 > J, θ ∈ λ (J1)} exists; (4) If J1, J2 ∈ U with J1 > J2 and if X is a two element discrete subset of λ(J1) ∪ λ(J2), then X λ(J) for some J ∈ UJ with J1 > J > J2.

In this paper, it is shown that any connected, small category can be embedded in a semi-groupoid (a category in which there is at least one isomorphism between any two elements) in such a way that the embedding includes a homotopy equivalence of classifying spaces. This immediately gives a monoid whose classifying space is of the same homotopy type as that of the small category. This construction is essentially algorithmic, and furthermore, yields a finitely presented monoid whenever the small category is finitely presented. Some of these results are generalizations of ideas of McDuff.

This paper constructs a minimal faithful representation of a semilattice of groups by partial transformations. The solution is expressed in terms of join irreducible elements of the semilattice and minimal faithful representations of groups with respect to certain normal subgroups.

The following questions are studied: When is a semigroup graded ring left Noetherian, respectively semiprime left Goldie? Necessary sufficient conditions are proved for cancellative semigroup-graded subrings of rings weakly or strongly graded by a polycyclic-by-finite (unique product) group. For semigroup rings R[S] we also give a solution to the problem in case S is an inverse semigroup.

A characterization of group congruences on an eventually regular semigroup S is provided. It is shown that a group congruence is dually right modular in the lattice of congruences on S. Also for any group congruence ℸ and any congruence p on S, ℸ Vp and kernel ℸ Vp are described.

The growth sequence of a finite semigroup S is the sequence {d(Sn)}, where Sn is the nth direct power of S and d stands for minimum generating number. When S has an identity, d(Sn) = d(Tn) + kn for all n, where T is the group of units and k is the minimum number of generators of S mod T. Thus d(Sn) is essentially known since d(Tn) is (see reference 4), and indeed d(Sn) is then eventually piecewise linear. On the other hand, if S has no identity, there exists a real number c > 1 such that d(Sn) ≥ cn for all n ≥ 2.

We show that every such semigroup is a homomorphic image of a subsemigroup of some finite inverse semigroup. This shows that the pseudovariety generated by the finite inverse semigroups consists of exactly the finite semigroups with commuting idempotents.

An inverse semigroup S is said to be modular if its lattice 𝓛𝓕 (S) of inverse subsemigroups is modular. We show that it is sufficient to study simple inverse semigroups which are not groups. Our main theorem states that such a semigroup S is modular if and only if (I) S is combinatorial, (II) its semilattice E of idempotents is “Archimedean” in S, (III) its maximum group homomorphic image G is locally cyclic and (IV) the poset of idempotents of each 𝓓-class of S is either a chain or contains exactly one pair of incomparable elements, each of which is maximal. Thus in view of earlier results of the second author a simple modular inverse semigroup is “almost” distributive. The bisimple modular inverse semigroups are explicitly constructed. It is remarkable that exactly one of these is nondistributive.

K. D. Magill has investigated the semigroup generated by the idempotent continuous mappings of a topological space into itself and examined whether this semigroup determines the space to within homeomorphism. By analogy with this (and related work of Bridget Bos Baird) we now consider the semigroup generated by nilpotent continuous partial mappings of a space into itself.

A semigroup is eventually regular if each of its elements has some power that is regular. Let 𝓚 be one of Green's relations and let ρ be a congruence on an eventually regular semigroup S. It is shown for 𝓚 = 𝓛, 𝓡 and 𝓓 that if A and B are regular elements of S/ρ that are 𝓚-related in S/ρ then there exist elements a ∈ A, b ∈ B such that a and b are 𝓚-related in S. The result is not true for 𝓗 or 𝓙.

Sandwich semigroups were introduced in [4], [5] and [6]. Green's relations (for regular elements) were characterized for these semigroups in [11] and [13]. Sandwich semigroups of continuous functions first made their appearance in [5]. In this paper, we consider only sandwich semigroups of continuous functions and we refer to them simply as sandwich semigroups. We now recall the definition. Let X and Y be topological spaces and fix a continuous function α from Y into X. Let S(X, Y, α) denote the semigroup of all continuous functions from X into Y where the product fg of f, g ε S(X, Y, α) is defined by fg = f ∘ α ∘ g. We refer to S(X, Y, α) as a sandwich semigroup with sandwich function α. If X = Y and α is the identity map then S(X, Y, α) is, of course, just S(X), the semigroup of all continuous selfmaps of X.

Whilst the Mal'cev product of completely regular varieties need not again be a variety, it is shown that in many important instances a variety is in fact obtained. However, unlike the product of group varieties this product is nonassociative.

Two important operators introduced by Reilly are studied in the context of Mal'cev products. These operators are shown to generate from any given variety one of the networks discovered by Pastijn and Trotter, enabling identities to be provided for the varieties in the network. In particular the join O V BG of the varieties of orthogroups and of bands of groups is determined, answering a question of Petrich.

The class of abundant semigroups originally arose from ‘homological’ considerations in the theory of S-systems: they are the semigroup theoretic counterparts of PP-rings. Cancellative monoids, full subsemigroups of regular semigroups as well as the multiplicative semigroups of PP-rings are abundant. In this paper we investigate the properties of Rees matrix semigroups over abundant semigroups. Some of our results generalise McAlister's work on regular Rees matrix semigroups.

We give a survey of some of the realisations that have been given of monogenic inverse semigroups and discuss their relation to one another. We then analyse the representations by bijections, combined under composition, of monogenic inverse semigroups, and classify these into isomorphism types. This provides a particularly easy way of classifying monogenic inverse semigroups into isomorphism types. Of interest is that we find two quite distinct representations by bijections of free monogenic inverse semigroups and show that all such representations must contain one of these two representations. We call a bijection of the form ai ↦ ai+1, i = 1,2,…, r − 1, a finite link of length r, and one of the form ai ↦ ai+1, i = 1,2…, a forward link. The inverse of a forward link we call a backward link. Two bijections u: A → B and r: C → D are said to be strongly disjoint if A ∩ C, A ∩ D, B ∩ C and B ∩ D are each empty. The two distinct representations of a free monogenic inverse semigroup, that we have just referred to, are first, such that its generator is the union of a counbtable set os finite links that are pairwise storongly disjoint part of any representation of a free monogenic inverse semigroup, the remaining part not affecting the isomorphism type. Each representation of a monogenic inverse semigroup that is not free contains a strongly disjoint part, determining it to within isomorphism, that is generated by either the strongly disjoint union of a finite link and a permutation or the strongly disjoint union of a finite and a forward link.

We characterize rings whose multiplicative subsemigroups containing 0 and the additive inverse of each element are subrings. In addition we consider commutative rings for which every non-constant multiplicative endormorphism that preserves additive inverses is a ring endomorphism, and we show that they belong to one of three easily-described classes of rings.

Four properties of congruences on a regular semigroup S are studied and compared. Let R, L and D denote Green's relations and let V = {(a, b) ∈ S × S|a and b are mutually inverse}. A congruence ρ on S is (1) rectangular provided ρ ∩ D = (ρ ∩ L) ° (ρ ∩ R), (2) V-commuting provided ρ ° V = V ° ρ, (3) (L, R)-commuting provided L ° ρ = ρ ° L, and R ° ρ = ρ ° R, and (4) idempotent-regular provided each idempotent ρ-class is a regular subsemigroup of S.

A rectangular congruence is (L, R)-commuting and a V-commuting congruence is idempotent-regular. If ρ is idempotent-regular and (L, R)-commuting then ρ is V-commuting. Examples and conditions are given to show what other implications among the four properties hold. In addition to characterizations of the properties, these are studied in the presence of other conditions on S. For example, if S is a stable regular semigroup, then each congruence under D is rectangular.

In this paper “a map” denotes an arbitrary (everywhere defined, or partial, or even multi-valued) mapping. A map is constant if any two elements belonging to its domain have precisely the same images under this map. We characterize those semigroups which can be isomorphic to semigroups of constant maps or to involuted semigroups of constant maps.