Partial orders on transformation semigroups. (Q1416730)

Denote by \(P(X)\) the semigroup, under composition, of all partial transformations of the set \(X\). Denote by \(\text{dom\,}\alpha\) the domain of \(\alpha\in P(X)\) and denote its range by \(\text{ran\,}\alpha\). Define a partial order \(\leq\) on \(P(X)\) by \(\alpha\leq\beta\) if \(\alpha=\gamma\beta=\beta\mu\) and \(\alpha=\alpha\mu\) for some \(\gamma,\mu\in P(X)\). Regard \(\alpha\) and \(\beta\) as subsets of \(X\times X\). Then a very natural order on \(P(X)\) is \(\alpha\subseteq\beta\). Define another relation \(\Omega\) on \(P(X)\) by \((\alpha,\beta)\in\Omega\) if and only if \(\text{dom\,}\alpha\subseteq\text{dom\,}\beta\), \(\text{ran\,}\alpha\subseteq\text{ran\,}\beta\), and \((\alpha\cup\beta)\beta^{-1}\cap(\text{dom\,}\alpha\times\text{dom\,}\alpha)\subseteq\alpha\alpha^{-1}\). The authors show that \(\Omega\) is a partial order on \(P(X)\) and, indeed, that \(\Omega=\subseteq\circ\leq\). They show that the partial order \(\omega=\leq\cap\subseteq\) is both left and right compatible on \(P(X)\) and they go on to determine the nonzero minimal elements and the nonzero maximal elements of \(P(X)\) with respect to each of the partial orders \(\leq\), \(\subseteq\), \(\Omega\), and \(\omega\).