Comultiplication on monoids (Q1380764)

A comultiplication on a monoid \(S\) is a homomorphism \(m\colon S\to S*S\) (the free product of \(S\) with itself) whose composition with each projection is the identity homomorphism. A monoid \(S\) is said to have the inverse (equidivisibility) property if whenever \(a,b\in S\) and \(ab=1\), then \(ba=1\) (if, respectively, the equation \(ax=by\) in \(S\) implies that either there exists a \(c\in S\) such that \(a=bc\) and \(cx=y\) or there exists a \(d\in S\) such that \(b=ad\) and \(x=dy\)). It is proved that a monoid \(S\) having the inverse property admits a comultiplication if and only if \(S=U*M\), where \(U\) is a free group and \(M\) is a free monoid. It is also shown that a monoid which satisfies the inverse property and has a comultiplication is cancellative and equidivisible.