Product expansions (Q1899154)

Let \(S\) be a finite semigroup and let \(T\) be a subsemigroup of the power semigroup \({\mathcal P}(S)\). The \(\mathcal H\)-amalgamation of an element \(A\) of \(T\) is the union of the \(\mathcal H\)-class of \(A\) in \(T\). The semigroup \(C^\omega(S)\) is defined as the smallest subsemigroup of \({\mathcal P}(S)\) which contains all the singletons and is closed under taking subsets and \(\mathcal H\)-amalgamations. The author has proved [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 55, 85-126 (1988; Zbl 0682.20044)] that the elements of \(C^\omega(S)\) are precisely the aperiodic pointlike sets, that is the subsets of \(S\) for which, in every relational morphism from \(S\) to a finite aperiodic semigroup, all the elements are related with the same point. The present paper proposes a shorter alternative proof of this result. Instead of the Rhodes expansion, a new product expansion of a semigroup is used. This explanation embeds, by construction, into a wreath product and projects onto the original semigroup by a homomorphism which is one-to-one on subgroups. In particular, the prime decomposition theorem is obtained as a corollary.