\(*\)-orderable semigroups. (Q2267772)

A semigroup algebra \(kS\) admits a total ordering if and only if the field \(k\) is formally real and \(S\) is a cancellative orderable semigroup. The case of \(*\)-orderability of \(kS\) is much harder. The notion of a \(*\)-ordering has been extended from division rings to general noncommutative rings in a series of papers by \textit{M. Marshall} [Commun. Algebra 28, No. 3, 1157-1173 (2000; Zbl 0955.16029), J. Pure Appl. Algebra 179, No. 3, 255-271 (2003; Zbl 1052.16021)] and by \textit{T. C. Craven} and \textit{T. L. Smith} [in J. Algebra 238, No. 1, 314-327 (2001; Zbl 0994.16029)]. Recently \(*\)-orderability of group algebras has been investigated by the first author [in J. Algebra 303, No. 1, 416-429 (2006; Zbl 1106.16019)]. The aim of this paper is to extend some of the results from groups to semigroups. In Sect. 2, the authors introduce \(*\)-orderable semigroups as those semigroups with involution \(S\) for which the semigroup algebra \(kS\) with the induced involution admits a \(*\)-ordering. The authors show that being a \(*\)-orderable semigroup is a local and residual property and deduce that the class of all \(*\)-orderable semigroups is a quasivariety. The third section contains some results on nilpotent semigroups, which are used in Sect. 4 to give examples of \(*\)-orderable semigroups. In Sect. 4 the authors also prove that every \(*\)-orderable semigroup has unique extraction of roots. The last section contains a discussion of the dependence on the base field, shows that the \(*\)-orderability of \(kS\) essentially depends at most on the type of involution on the \(*\)-orderable field \(k\), not on the field itself.