On the Algebra of Semigroup Diagrams

Abstract

In this work we enrich the geometric method of semigroup diagrams to study semigroup presentations. We introduce a process of reduction on semigroup diagrams which leads to a natural way of multiplying semigroup diagrams associated with a given semigroup presentation. With respect to this multiplication the set of reduced semigroup diagrams is a groupoid. The main result is that the groupoid [Formula: see text] of reduced semigroup diagrams over the presentation S = <X:R> may be identified with the fundamental groupoid γ (KS) of a certain 2-dimensional complex KS. Consequently, the vertex groups of the groupoid [Formula: see text] are isomorphic to the fundamental groups of the complex KS. The complex we discovered was first considered in the paper of Craig Squier, published only recently. Steven Pride has also independently defined a 2-dimensional complex isomorphic to KS in relation to his work on low-dimensional homotopy theory for monoids. Some structural information about the fundamental groups of the complex KS are presented. The class of these groups contains all finitely generated free groups and is closed under finite direct and finite free products. Many additional results on the structure of these groups may be found in the paper of Victor Guba and Mark Sapir.