Naturally ordered transformation semigroups (Q1076816)

The full transformation semigroup \((T_ X,\circ)\) on the set X is studied with respect to the natural partial order: \(f\leq g\) iff \(f=i\circ g=g\circ j\) for some idempotents \(i,j\in T_ X\), which is defined on every regular semigroup (see: \textit{R. Hartwig} [Math. Jap. 25, 1-13 (1980; Zbl 0442.06006)] and \textit{K. S. S. Nambooripad} [Proc. Edinb. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 23, 249-260 (1980; Zbl 0459.20054)]). A characterization of this ordering in terms of images and kernels of mappings is given. The maximal and minimal elements of \((T_ X,\leq)\) are found to be the injective or surjective maps and the constant functions, respectively. For every \(f\in T_ X\) not maximal (minimal), upper (lower) covers are constructed and, in case that X is finite, the number of covers for minimal and maximal elements is given. Lower and upper bounds for two elements in \(T_ X\) are investigated and necessary resp. sufficient conditions for their existence are given. Further, infima and suprema are located in \((T_ X,\leq)\) and a criterion for the existence of sup\(\{\) f,g\(\}\) is proved. The question for inf\(\{\) f,g\(\}\) remains an open problem in the general case. Finally, for \(| X| =n\) and \(f,g\in T_ X\) with \(| Im f\cup Im g| <n-1\) it is shown that the existence of the supremum of \(f,g\in T_ X\) implies that of inf\(\{\) f,g\(\}\).