The commutative cohomology of nilmonoids, revisited (Q2216515)

Let \(N\) be a finite commutative nilsemigroup with an identity element adjoined that has at least 3 elements and let \(\mathcal{G}\) be the Schützenberger functor that assigns an abelian group \(G_a\) to each \(a\in N\) and homomorphisms \(\gamma_{a,t}\colon G_a\to G_{at}\), so that \(\gamma_{a,1}\) is the identity on \(G_a\) and \(\gamma_{at,u}\gamma_{a,t}= \gamma_{a,tu}\). If \(at=au\) implies \(\gamma_{a,t}\gamma_{a,u}\), then \(\gamma_b^a=\gamma_{a,t}\colon G_a\to G_b\) is well-defined whenever \(b=at\) for some \(t\in N\). An abelian group-valued functor \(\mathcal{G}\) on \(N\) is called \textit{(almost) constant} if there exists an abelian group \(G\) such that \(G_a=G\) for all \(a\in N\) (for all \(a\in N\backslash\{0\}\), \(G_0=0\)) and \(\gamma_b^a=1_G\) for all \(a\geq b\) (for all \(a\geq b>0\) in \(N\), and \(\gamma_0^a=0\) for all \(a\in N\)). Here, \(\leq\) denotes the natural divisibility preorder on \(N\): \(a\leq b\) if and only if \(a=bt\) for some \(t\in N\). Some properties of the canonical presentation of \(N\) are deduced that are used for description of minimal cochains and minimal cocycles on \(N\) with values in \(\mathcal{G}\). Cohomology groups \(H^2(N,\mathcal{G})\) are computed in a number of cases, using the \textit{overpath method} that was developed by the author. For example, if \(\mathcal{G}\) is constant, then \(H^2(N,\mathcal{G})=0\). If \(\mathcal{G}\) is almost constant, then \(H^2(N,\mathcal{G})\) is the cohomology group of a certain chain complex of abelian groups. The article is illustrated with a large number of examples.