Kublanovsky has shown that if a subvariety V of the variety RSn generated by completely 0-simple semigroups over groups of exponent n is itself generated by completely 0-simple semigroups, then it must satisfy one of three conditions: (i) A2 ∈ V; (ii) (iii) B2∈V but The conditions (i) and (ii) are also sufficient conditions. In this note, we complete Kublanovsky’s programme by refining condition (iii) to obtain a complete set of conditions that are both necessary and sufficient.

In 1975, Symons described the automorphisms of the semigroup T(X,Y ) consisting of all total transformations from a set X into a fixed subset Y of X. Recently Sanwong, Singha and Sullivan determined all maximal (and all minimal) congruences on T(X,Y ), and Sommanee studied Green’s relations in T(X,Y ). Here, we describe Green’s relations and ideals for the semigroup T(V,W) consisting of all linear transformations from a vector space V into a fixed subspace W of V.

We provide a short, intuitive proof of Isbell’s zigzag theorem.

It is known that, for semigroups, the property of admitting a finite presentation is preserved on passing to subsemigroups and extensions of finite Rees index. The present paper shows that the same holds true for Malcev, cancellative, left-cancellative and right-cancellative presentations. (A Malcev (respectively, cancellative, left-cancellative, right-cancellative) presentation is a presentation of a special type that can be used to define any group-embeddable (respectively, cancellative, left-cancellative, right-cancellative) semigroup.)

The finite generation and presentation of Schützenberger products of semigroups are investigated. A general necessary and sufficient condition is established for finite generation. The Schützenberger product of two groups is finitely presented as an inverse semigroup if and only if the groups are finitely presented, but is not finitely presented as a semigroup unless both groups are finite.

Completely regular semigroups CR are regarded here as algebras with multiplication and the unary operation of inversion. Their lattice of varieties is denoted by L(CR). Let B denote the variety of bands and L(B) the lattice of its subvarieties. The mapping V → V ∩ B is a complete homomorphism of L(CR) onto L(B). The congruence induced by it has classes that are intervals, say VB = [VB, VB] for V ∈ L(CR). Here VB = V ∩ B. We characterize VB in several ways, the principal one being an inductive way of constructing bases for v-irreducible band varieties. We term the latter canonical. We perform a similar analysis for the intersection of these varieties with the varieties BG, OBG and B.

This paper concerns parabolic submonoids of a class of monoids known as singular Artin monoids. The latter class includes the singular braid monoid— a geometric extension of the braid group, which was created for the sole purpose of studying Vassiliev invariants in knot theory. However, those monoids may also be construed (and indeed, are defined) as a formal extension of Artin groups which, in turn, naturally generalise braid groups. It is the case, by van der Lek and Paris, that standard parabolic subgroups of Artin groups are canonically isomorphic to Artin groups. This naturally invites us to consider whether the same holds for parabolic submonoids of singular Artin monoids. We show that it is in fact true when the corresponding Coxeter matrix is of ‘type FC’ hence generalising Corran's result in the ‘finite type’ case.

The partial automorphism monoid of an inverse semigroup is an inverse monoid consisting of all isomorphisms between its inverse subsemigroups. We prove that a tightly connected fundamental inverse semigroup S with no isolated nontrivial subgroups is lattice determined ‘modulo semilattices’ and if T is an inverse semigroup whose partial automorphism monoid is isomorphic to that of S, then either S and T are isomorphic or they are dually isomorphic chains relative to the natural partial order; a similar result holds if T is any semigroup and the inverse monoids consisting of all isomorphisms between subsemigroups of S and T, respectively, are isomorphic. Moreover, for these results to hold, the conditions that S be tightly connected and have no isolated nontrivial subgroups are essential.

It is shown that the complex semigroup algebra of a free monoid of rank at least two is *-primitive, where * denotes the involution on the algebra induced by word-reversal on the monoid.

To any given balanced semigroup identity U ≈ W a number of polyhedral convex cones are associated. In this setting an algorithm is proposed which determines whether the given identity is satisfied in the bicylic semigroup or in the semigroup . The semigroups BC and E deserve our attention because a semigroup variety contains a simple semigroup which is not completely simple (respectively, which is idempotent free) if and only if this variety contains BC (respectively, E). Therefore, for a given identity U ≈ W it is decidable whether or not the variety determined by U ≈ W contains a simple semigroup which is not completely simple (respectively, which is idempotent free).

Let M be a reductive algebraic monoid with zero and unit group G. We obtain a description of the submonoid generated by the idempotents of M. In particular, we find necessary and sufficient conditions for M\G to be idempotent generated.

We construct the freest idempotent-pure expansion of an inverse semigroup, generalizing an expansion of Margolis and Meakin for the group case. We also generalize the Birget-Rhodes prefix expansion to inverse semigroups with an application to partial actions of inverse semigroups. In the process of generalizing the latter expansion, we are led to a new class of idempotent-pure homomorphisms which we term F-morphisms. These play the same role in the theory of idempotent-pure homomorphisms that F-inverse monoids play in the theory of E-unitary inverse semigroups.

We define a notion of conjugacy in singular Artin moniods, and solve the corresponding conjugacy problem for finite types. We sgiw that this definition is appropriate to describe type (1) singular Markov moves on singular braids. Parabolic submonoids of singular Artin monoids are defined and, in finite type, are shown to be singular Artin monoids. Solutions to conjugacy-type problems of parabolic submonoids are described. Geometric objects defined by Fenn, Rolfsen and Zhu, called (j, k)-bands, are algebraically characterised, and a procedure is given which determines when a word represents a (j, k)-band.

For a permutation group H on an infinite set X and a transformation f of X, let 〈f: H〉 = 〈{hfh-1:h є; H}〉 be a group closure of f. We find necessary and sufficient conditions for distinct normal subgroups of the symmetric group on X and a one-to-one transformation f of X to generate distinct group closures of f. Amongst these group closures we characterize those that are left simple, left cancellative, idempotent-free semigroups, whose congruence lattice forms a chain and whose congruences are preserved under automorphisms.

A generalization of the Pastijn product is introduced so that, on the level of e-varieties and pseudoe-varieties, this product and the regular semidirect product by completely simple semigroups ‘almost always’ coincide. This is applied to give a model of the bifree objects in every e-variety formed as a regular semidirect product of a variety of inverse semigroups by a variety of completely simple semigroups that is not a group variety.

The Archimedean components of triangular norms (which turn the closed unit interval into anabelian, totally ordered semigroup with neutral element 1) are studied, in particular their extension to triangular norms, and some construction methods for Archimedean components are given. The triangular norms which are uniquely determined by their Archimedean components are characterized. Using ordinal sums and additive generators, new types of left-continuous triangular norms are constructed.

A subsemigroup S of a semigroup Q is a left order in Q, and Q is a semigroup of left quotients of S, if every element of Q can be written as a−1b for some a, b∈S with a belonging to a group -class of Q. Necessary and sufficient conditions on a semigroup S are obtained in order that S be a left order in a completely 0-simple semigroup Q. The class of all completely 0-simple semigroups of left quotients of S is related to the set of certain left congruences on S. Axioms are provided for semigroups which occur in the discussion of left orders in completely 0-simple semigroups.

Let M be a commutative cancellative atomic monoid. We consider the behaviour of the asymptotic length functions and on M. If M is finitely generated and reduced, then we present an algorithm for the computation of both and where x is a nonidentity element of M. We also explore the values that the functions and can attain when M is a Krull monoid with torsion divisor class group, and extend a well-known result of Zaks and Skula by showing how these values can be used to characterize when M is half-factorial.

In 1986, Higgins proved that T(X), the semigroup (under composition) of all total transformations of a set X, has a proper dense subsemigroup if and only if X is infinite, and he obtained similar results for partial and partial one-to-one transformations. We consider the generalised transformation semigroup T(X, Y) consisting of all total transformations from X into Y under the operation α * β = αθβ, where θ is any fixed element of T(Y, X). We show that this semigroup has a proper dense subsemigroup if and only if X and Y are infinite and | Yθ| = min{|X|,|Y|}, and we obtain similar results for partial and partial one-to-one transformations. The results of Higgins then become special cases.

A locally compact semilattice with open principal filters is a zero-dimensional scattered space. Cardinal invariants of locally compact and compact semilattices with open principal filters are investigated. Structure of topological semilattices on the one-point Alexandroff compactification of an uncountable discrete space and linearly ordered compact semilattices with open principal filters are researched.