Finite Coverings of Semigroups and Related Structures

• Main Authors: Donoven, Casey, Kappe, Luise-Charlotte
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 10.02.2020
• Subjects: Mathematics - Group Theory
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2002.04072

For a semigroup $S$, the covering number of $S$ with respect to semigroups, $\sigma_s(S)$, is the minimum number of proper subsemigroups of $S$ whose union is $S$. This article investigates covering numbers of semigroups and analogously defined covering numbers of inverse semigroups and monoids. Our three main theorems give a complete description of the covering number of finite semigroups, finite inverse semigroups, and monoids (modulo groups and infinite semigroups). For a finite semigroup that is neither monogenic nor a group, its covering number is two. For all $n\geq 2$, there exists an inverse semigroup with covering number $n$, similar to the case of loops. Finally, a monoid that is neither a group nor a semigroup with an identity adjoined has covering number two as well.