Semilattices of simple and regular \(n\)-ary semigroups (Q6145346)

An \(n\)-ary semigroup \((S, f )\) is a nonempty set \(S\) together with an associative mapping \(f : S \times\cdots \times S\) (\(n\) times) \(\to S\) where \(n \ge 2\). Hence, this generalises the notion of a semigroup. Analogous to the semilattice decompositions of various semigroups, the authors describe the structure of \(n\)-ary semigroups which are decomposable into i-simple and regular components for all for \(1< i < n\) and \(n \ge 3\). The semilattice congruence \(\mathscr{N}\) (which identifies two elements if they generate the same principal filter) is their main tool in this study. In particular, they show that each \(n\)-ary semigroup which is both regular and intra-regular is isomorphic to a semilattice of \(i\)-simple and regular \(n\)-ary semigroups and also that that an \(n\)-ary semigroup is intra-regular if and only if it is a semilattice of \(i\)-simple \(n\)-ary semigroups. The connections between semilattices of \(i\)-simple (and regular) \(n\)-ary semigroups and semilattices of simple (and regular) \(n\)-ary semigroups are also discussed.