Free Involutorial Completely Simple Semigroups

Abstract

An involution x → x* of a semigroup S is an antiautomorphism of S of order at most 2, that is (xy)* = y*x* and x** = x for all x, y ∊ S. In such a case, S is called an involutorial semigroup if regarded as a universal algebra with the binary operation of multiplication and the unary operation *. If S is also a completely simple semigroup, regarded as an algebra with multiplication and the unary operation x → x−1 of inversion (x−1 is the inverse of x in the maximal subgroup of S containing x), then (S, −1, *), or simply S, is an involutorial completely simple semigroup. All such S form a variety determined by the identities above concerning * andwhere x0 = xx−1.