Null semigroup

Last updated

In mathematics, a null semigroup (also called a zero semigroup) is a semigroup with an absorbing element, called zero, in which the product of any two elements is zero. [1] If every element of a semigroup is a left zero then the semigroup is called a left zero semigroup; a right zero semigroup is defined analogously. [2]

Contents

According to A. H. Clifford and G. B. Preston, "In spite of their triviality, these semigroups arise naturally in a number of investigations." [1]

Null semigroup

Let S be a semigroup with zero element 0. Then S is called a null semigroup if xy = 0 for all x and y in S.

Cayley table for a null semigroup

Let S = {0, a, b, c} be (the underlying set of) a null semigroup. Then the Cayley table for S is as given below:

Cayley table for a null semigroup
0abc
00000
a0000
b0000
c0000

Left zero semigroup

A semigroup in which every element is a left zero element is called a left zero semigroup. Thus a semigroup S is a left zero semigroup if xy = x for all x and y in S.

Cayley table for a left zero semigroup

Let S = {a, b, c} be a left zero semigroup. Then the Cayley table for S is as given below:

Cayley table for a left zero semigroup
abc
aaaa
bbbb
cccc

Right zero semigroup

A semigroup in which every element is a right zero element is called a right zero semigroup. Thus a semigroup S is a right zero semigroup if xy = y for all x and y in S.

Cayley table for a right zero semigroup

Let S = {a, b, c} be a right zero semigroup. Then the Cayley table for S is as given below:

Cayley table for a right zero semigroup
abc
aabc
babc
cabc

Properties

A non-trivial null (left/right zero) semigroup does not contain an identity element. It follows that the only null (left/right zero) monoid is the trivial monoid.

The class of null semigroups is:

It follows that the class of null (left/right zero) semigroups is a variety of universal algebra, and thus a variety of finite semigroups. The variety of finite null semigroups is defined by the identity ab = cd.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monoid</span> Algebraic structure with an associative operation and an identity element

In abstract algebra, a branch of mathematics, a monoid is a set equipped with an associative binary operation and an identity element. For example, the nonnegative integers with addition form a monoid, the identity element being 0.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Semigroup</span> Algebraic structure consisting of a set with an associative binary operation

In mathematics, a semigroup is an algebraic structure consisting of a set together with an associative internal binary operation on it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Subgroup</span> Subset of a group that forms a group itself

In group theory, a branch of mathematics, a subset of a group G is a subgroup of G if the members of that subset form a group with respect to the group operation in G.

In mathematics, the concept of an inverse element generalises the concepts of opposite and reciprocal of numbers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Generating set of a group</span> Abstract algebra concept

In abstract algebra, a generating set of a group is a subset of the group set such that every element of the group can be expressed as a combination of finitely many elements of the subset and their inverses.

In abstract algebra, a magma, binar, or, rarely, groupoid is a basic kind of algebraic structure. Specifically, a magma consists of a set equipped with a single binary operation that must be closed by definition. No other properties are imposed.

Ring theory is the branch of mathematics in which rings are studied: that is, structures supporting both an addition and a multiplication operation. This is a glossary of some terms of the subject.

In mathematics, an aperiodic semigroup is a semigroup S such that every element is aperiodic, that is, for each x in S there exists a positive integer n such that xn = xn+1. An aperiodic monoid is an aperiodic semigroup which is a monoid.

In universal algebra, a variety of algebras or equational class is the class of all algebraic structures of a given signature satisfying a given set of identities. For example, the groups form a variety of algebras, as do the abelian groups, the rings, the monoids etc. According to Birkhoff's theorem, a class of algebraic structures of the same signature is a variety if and only if it is closed under the taking of homomorphic images, subalgebras, and (direct) products. In the context of category theory, a variety of algebras, together with its homomorphisms, forms a category; these are usually called finitary algebraic categories.

In algebra and theoretical computer science, an action or act of a semigroup on a set is a rule which associates to each element of the semigroup a transformation of the set in such a way that the product of two elements of the semigroup is associated with the composite of the two corresponding transformations. The terminology conveys the idea that the elements of the semigroup are acting as transformations of the set. From an algebraic perspective, a semigroup action is a generalization of the notion of a group action in group theory. From the computer science point of view, semigroup actions are closely related to automata: the set models the state of the automaton and the action models transformations of that state in response to inputs.

In mathematics, a band is a semigroup in which every element is idempotent. Bands were first studied and named by A. H. Clifford.

In mathematics, an absorbing element is a special type of element of a set with respect to a binary operation on that set. The result of combining an absorbing element with any element of the set is the absorbing element itself. In semigroup theory, the absorbing element is called a zero element because there is no risk of confusion with other notions of zero, with the notable exception: under additive notation zero may, quite naturally, denote the neutral element of a monoid. In this article "zero element" and "absorbing element" are synonymous.

In algebra, a transformation semigroup is a collection of transformations that is closed under function composition. If it includes the identity function, it is a monoid, called a transformationmonoid. This is the semigroup analogue of a permutation group.

In mathematics, particularly in abstract algebra, a semigroup with involution or a *-semigroup is a semigroup equipped with an involutive anti-automorphism, which—roughly speaking—brings it closer to a group because this involution, considered as unary operator, exhibits certain fundamental properties of the operation of taking the inverse in a group:

In mathematics, a semigroup with two elements is a semigroup for which the cardinality of the underlying set is two. There are exactly five nonisomorphic semigroups having two elements:

In mathematics, a cancellative semigroup is a semigroup having the cancellation property. In intuitive terms, the cancellation property asserts that from an equality of the form a·b = a·c, where · is a binary operation, one can cancel the element a and deduce the equality b = c. In this case the element being cancelled out is appearing as the left factors of a·b and a·c and hence it is a case of the left cancellation property. The right cancellation property can be defined analogously. Prototypical examples of cancellative semigroups are the positive integers under addition or multiplication. Cancellative semigroups are considered to be very close to being groups because cancellability is one of the necessary conditions for a semigroup to be embeddable in a group. Moreover, every finite cancellative semigroup is a group. One of the main problems associated with the study of cancellative semigroups is to determine the necessary and sufficient conditions for embedding a cancellative semigroup in a group.

In abstract algebra, a semigroup with three elements is an object consisting of three elements and an associative operation defined on them. The basic example would be the three integers 0, 1, and −1, together with the operation of multiplication. Multiplication of integers is associative, and the product of any two of these three integers is again one of these three integers.

In mathematics, and more precisely in semigroup theory, a variety of finite semigroups is a class of semigroups having some nice algebraic properties. Those classes can be defined in two distinct ways, using either algebraic notions or topological notions. Varieties of finite monoids, varieties of finite ordered semigroups and varieties of finite ordered monoids are defined similarly.

In mathematics, and more precisely in semigroup theory, a nilsemigroup or nilpotent semigroup is a semigroup whose every element is nilpotent.

References

  1. 1 2 A H Clifford; G B Preston (1964). The Algebraic Theory of Semigroups, volume I. mathematical Surveys. Vol. 1 (2 ed.). American Mathematical Society. pp. 3–4. ISBN   978-0-8218-0272-4.
  2. M. Kilp, U. Knauer, A.V. Mikhalev, Monoids, Acts and Categories with Applications to Wreath Products and Graphs, De Gruyter Expositions in Mathematics vol. 29, Walter de Gruyter, 2000, ISBN   3-11-015248-7, p. 19