On lengths of non-unique factorizations and systems of linear diophantine inequalities (Q1313468)

Let \(H\) be a commutative semigroup with unit 1 with the cancellation property and without invertible elements \(\neq 1\). Assume further that \(H\) is generated by a finite set \(\{u_ 1,u_ 2,\dots,u_ s\}\) (\(u_ i \neq 1\)). For positive integers \(n_ 1,n_ 2,\dots,n_ s\) put \(f(n_ 1,\dots,n_ s) = \prod_{i=1}^ s u_ i^{n_ i}\) and let \(\varphi: \mathbb{Z}^ s \longrightarrow \mathbb{Z}\) be a linear map. It is shown that for every \(a \in H\) the set \(\varphi(f^{-1}(a))\) differs from a union of finite arithmetic progressions of the same length and a common difference by at most a finite number \(M\) of terms, \(M\) being bounded by a number not depending on \(a\). In the case \(\varphi(k_ 1,\dots,k_ s) = k_ 1 + \cdots + k_ s\) this has been proved by \textit{A. Geroldinger} [Commun. Algebra 19, No. 2, 685-698 (1991; Zbl 0723.20038)].