Inverse near permutation semigroups. (Q1764612)

The symbol \({\mathcal T}_N\) denotes the semigroup, under composition, of all selfmaps of a set \(X\) with \(N\) elements. The `rank' of an element \(\alpha\in{\mathcal T}_N\) is defined to be \(|X\alpha|\). A subsemigroup of \({\mathcal T}_N\) is defined to be a `near permutation semigroup' if it is generated by a group \(G\) of permutations together with a collection \(H\) of transformations of rank \(N-1\) and such a semigroup is denoted by \(\langle G,H\rangle\). In the main result of the paper, the author gives necessary and sufficient conditions in order for \(\langle G,H\rangle\) to be an inverse semigroup in the case where \(H\) is a group. He goes on to find necessary and sufficient conditions for \(\langle G,H\rangle\) to be inverse with the property that its semilattice of idempotents is generated by the rank \(N-1\) idempotents of \(\langle G,H\rangle\). In addition to this, he gives necessary and sufficient conditions in order that \(\langle G,H\rangle\) be an inverse semigroup whose semilattice of idempotents is generated by the idempotents of rank greater than or equal to \(N-2\).