The Algebraic Theory of Semigroups, Vol. I. By A. H. Clifford and G. B. Preston. Pp. xv + 224. $10.60. 1961. (American Mathematical Society, Providence.)

Discoveries in finite semigroups have influenced several mathematical fields, including theoretical computer science, tropical algebra via matrix theory with coefficients in semirings, and other areas of modern algebra. This comprehensive, encyclopedic text will provide the reader - from the graduate student to the researcher/practitioner with a detailed understanding of modern finite semigroup theory, focusing in particular on advanced topics on the cutting edge of research. Key features: (1) Develops q-theory, a new theory that provides a unifying approach to finite semigroup theory via quantization; (2) Contains the only contemporary exposition of the complete theory of the complexity of finite semigroups; (3) Introduces spectral theory into finite semigroup theory; (4) Develops the theory of profinite semigroups from first principles, making connections with spectra of Boolean algebras of regular languages; (5) Presents over 70 research problems, most new, and hundreds of exercises. Additional features: (1) For newcomers, an appendix on elementary finite semigroup theory; (2) Extensive bibliography and index. The q-theory of Finite Semigroups presents important techniques and results, many for the first time in book form, and thereby updates and modernizes the literature of semigroup theory.

The q-theory of Finite Semigroups

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés. Syntactic semigroups Jean-Eric Pin

Syntactic semigroups

Preface 1. Preliminaries 2. Codes 3. Prefix codes 4. Automata 5. Deciphering delay 6. Bifix codes 7. Circular codes 8. Factorizations of free monoids 9. Unambiguous monoids of relations 10. Synchronization 11. Groups of codes 12. Factorizations of cyclic groups 13. Densities 14. Polynomials of finite codes Solutions of exercises Appendix: Research problems References Index of notation Index.

Codes and Automata

Sur Le Produit De Concatenation Non Ambigu

On monoids presented by a single relation

Structure theorems for regular semigroups

On the determination of Green's relations in finite transformation semigroups

The purpose of this paper is to investigate under what conditions an inverse semigroup M is isomorphic to the syntactic monoid M(A)* of afinite prefix code A over an alphabet X. We find a necessary condition for this to happen. It expresses a precise link between the group of units of M and the maximal subgroups of the 0-minimal ideal of M (Theorem 2.1). The condition is shown to be sufficient in case M is an ideal extension of a Brandt semigroup by a group (Corollary 2.3). We also introduce and study stable codes (products of subsets of the alphabet) and give structural properties of their syntactic monoids (Proposition 3.3 and Theorem 3.5). Most of our results inter-relate structural properties of certain semigroups and divisibility of integers attached to them. The terminology follows [1] and [3].

Gerard Lallement

Papers

On monoids presented by a single relation

Structure theorems for regular semigroups

On the determination of Green's relations in finite transformation semigroups

On certain codes admitting inverse semigroups as syntactic monoids

Recognizable languages and finite semilattices of groups