Syndetic sets and amenability

Abstract

We prove that if an infinite, discrete semigroup has the property that every right syndetic set is left syndetic, then the semigroup has a left invariant mean. We prove that the weak ∗ * -closed convex hull of the two-sided translates of every bounded function on an infinite discrete semigroup contains a constant function. Our proofs use the algebraic properties of the Stone-Cech compactification.