The structure of commutative semigroups with the ideal retraction property. (Q1434118)

A semigroup \(S\) has the ideal retraction property (IRP) if for each ideal \(I\) of \(S\) there exists a homomorphism of \(S\) onto \(I\) whose restriction to \(I\) is the identity function (in a paper with the same title [Semigroup Forum 66, No. 3, 416-432 (2003; Zbl 1040.20047)], the authors also required that \(S\) be nonsimple). The main result gives a characterization of commutative semigroups with IRP. Using the concept of 2-core of an idempotent \(e\in S\) (defined by \(C_2(e)=\{x\in S\mid x^2\in H_e\}\), where \(H_e\) is the group \(\mathcal H\)-class of \(e\in S\)) it is shown that a commutative semigroup \(S\) has IRP if and only if (i) \(S\) is the union of all its 2-cores, (ii) \(C_2(e)\cdot C_2(f)\subseteq H_{ef}=M(C_2(ef))\) (the minimal ideal of \(C_2(ef)\)) for all idempotents \(e,f\in S\), and (iii) the semilattice of idempotents of \(S\) has IRP (the latter were characterized in the paper cited above). Furthermore, for any commutative semigroup \(S\) with IRP the following is proved: (a) every homomorphic image of \(S\) has IRP; (b) every ideal of \(S\) has IRP; (c) in case that \(S\) is also periodic, \(S\) has also the ideal extension property (i.e., for every subsemigroup \(T\) of \(S\) and each ideal \(I\) of \(T\) there exists an ideal \(J\) of \(S\) such that \(J\cap T=I\)). Remark: As mentioned already in the review of the paper cited above, a construction of all semigroups with IRP was given by \textit{E. J. Tully}, jun. [J. Aust. Math. Soc. 9, 239--245 (1969; Zbl 0185.04802)].