On the bifree locally inverse semigroup (Q1906638)

A `locally inverse' semigroup is a regular semigroup \(S\) all of whose local submonoids (those of the form \(eSe\), for \(e\in E(S)\), its set of idempotents) are inverse. The class \({\mathcal L}{\mathcal I}\) of locally inverse semigroups is closed under products, homomorphic images and regular subsemigroups and as such forms an existence (or e-) variety. It was shown by \textit{Y. T. Yeh} [Int. J. Algebra Comput. 2, No. 4, 471-484 (1992; Zbl 0765.20030)]\ that every e-variety \({\mathcal V}\) of locally inverse semigroups possesses a `bifree' object \(BF{\mathcal V} (X)\) for each nonempty set \(X\), defined by the property that every `matched' mapping \(\varphi\) from \(X\cup X'\) (where \(X'\) is a set of formal inverses for the elements of \(X\) and `matched' requires that \(x'\varphi\) be an inverse of \(x\varphi\) in \(S\) for every \(x\) in \(X\)) to a member \(S\) of \({\mathcal V}\) extends uniquely to a morphism from \(BF{\mathcal V}(X)\) to \(S\). In a previous paper [J. Algebra 166, No. 3, 630-650 (1994; Zbl 0806.20052)]\ the author described \(BF{\mathcal{LI}}(X)\) by using a result of \textit{F. Pastijn} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 273, 631-655 (1982; Zbl 0512.20042)], to the effect that every locally inverse semigroup is a homomorphic image of a regular subsemigroup of a ``semidirect product of a semilattice by a completely simple semigroup''. The semigroup \(BF{\mathcal{LI}}(X)\) was described as a regular subsemigroup of such a semigroup. This enabled the word problem to be solved, in a syntactical sense described below, but did not yield a set of canonical forms. In the current paper, a different approach is used. Once again locally inverse semigroups are treated as `binary semigroups': they carry a second binary operation, induced from the sandwich set operation (in this paper the operation is the dual of that in the previous paper). The arguments are syntactical, based on `words' in the free binary semigroup on a countably infinite set \(X\). But now a set of canonical forms is obtained for \(BF{\mathcal{LI}}(X)\), based on a new canonical-form description of \(BF{\mathcal{CS}}(X)\), the bifree completely simple semigroup on \(X\). The forms are strongly reminiscent of those found by B. M. Schein for the free inverse semigroup on \(X\), using the bifree completely simple semigroup in place of the free group. Turning the tables, the new structure theorem now yields independent proofs of the cited theorem of Pastijn and of the representation of \({\mathcal{LI}}\) as a Malcev product of the e-varieties of semilattices and completely simple semigroups (together with various related results).