Structure monoids of set-theoretic solutions of the Yang-Baxter equation (Q2232016)

\textit{V. G. Drinfeld} [in Lect. Notes Math. 1510, 1--8 (1992; Zbl 0765.17014)] suggested that it would be interesting to study solutions to the equation \[r_{12}r_{23}r_{12}=r_{23}r_{12}r_{23}\] where X is a set, \(r: X\times X\to X\times X\) is a map and \(r_{ij}\) is the map acting like \(r\) on the two factors \(i\) and \(j\) and as the identity on the remaining factor. Such a solution \(r\) is called a set-theoretic solution to the Yang-Baxter equation. If \((X,r)\) is a set-theoretic solution, write \(r(x,y)= (\sigma_x(y),\gamma_y(x))\). It is well known that all non-degenerate involutive set-theoretic solutions \((X,r)\) are restriction of set-theoretic solution of the structure group \(G(X,r)=\operatorname{gr}(x \in X \ | \ xy=\sigma_x(y)\gamma_y(x) \text{ for all } xy \in X)\). However, if \((X,r)\) is not involutive, there is no guarantee that the canonical map \(\iota: X\to G(X,r)\) is injective, and one can recover \(r\) from the solution associated with \(G(X,r)\). A way to overcome this problem is to look at the structure monoid instead of the structure group. Indeed there is a unique set-theoretic solution \((M,r_M)\) associated with the structure monoid \(M(X,r)=\langle x \in X \ | \ xy=\sigma_x(y)\gamma_y(x) \text{ for all } xy \in X\rangle\) such that the restriction of \(r_M\) to \(X\times X\) coincides with \(r\). This paper starts with a review of this important result due to \textit{T. Gateva-Ivanova} and \textit{S. Majid} [J. Algebra 319, No. 4, 1462--1529 (2008; Zbl 1140.16016)]. Then, the authors focus on the derived monoid \(A(X,r) = \langle X \ |\ x +\sigma_x(y) = \sigma_x(y) + \sigma_{\sigma_x(y)}\gamma_y(x) \text{ for all } x,y\in X\rangle\) and prove that there is a \(1\)-cocycle \(\pi: M(X,r) \to A(X,r)\). They show how, in general, such a \(1\)-cocycle is not bijective. In addition, they prove that the bijectivity of \(\pi\) is equivalent to the solution \(r\) being left non-degenerate whenever \(X\) is finite. Finally, the authors endowed the structure monoid with the structure of a semitruss. A semitruss is an algebraic structure introduced by \textit{T. Brzeziński} [Rev. Roum. Math. Pures Appl. 63, No. 2, 75--89 (2018; Zbl 1424.16109)] to study the algebraic essence of several associative structures associated with solutions. In this way, they determine a left cancellative congruence \(\eta\) on \(M(X,r)\) and obtain a solution on \(M(X,r)/\eta\).