\(F\)-sets and finite automata (Q2199490)

The notion of a \(k\)-automatic subset of \(\mathbb{N}\) (that is, a subset \(S\subset\mathbb{N}\) with the property that there is a finite automaton which accepts exactly the words arising as base \(k\) expansions of elements of \(S\)) is extended here to an \(F\)-automatic subset of a finitely generated abelian group \(\Gamma\) equipped with an endomorphism \(F\). An \(F\)-subset means a finite union of finite sets of sums of elements of \(\Gamma\), of \(F\)-invariant subgroups in \(\Gamma\), and of \(F\)-cycles in \(\Gamma\) (subsets of the form \(\{\gamma+F^\delta\gamma+F^{2\delta}\gamma+\cdots +F^{\ell\delta}\gamma\}\) with \(\ell,\delta\in\mathbb{N}\) and \(\gamma\in\Gamma\)). \(F\)-automaticity is also defined via finite-state automata and accepted words. The main results (Theorems 4.2, 6.9 and 7.4) prove automaticity of \(F\)-subsets under some mild conditions. The results are a natural generalisations of Derksen's analog of the Skolem-Mahler-Lech theorem [\textit{H. Derksen}, Invent. Math. 168, No. 1, 175--224 (2007; Zbl 1205.11030)] to the Mordell-Lang context studied by \textit{R. Moosa} and \textit{T. Scanlon} [Am. J. Math. 126, No. 3, 473--522 (2004; Zbl 1072.03020)].