External paradoxical decompositions. (Q2460064)

Tarski's theorem states that a group \(G\) is nonamenable if and only if there exists a paradoxical decomposition of \(G\) using \(n+m\) pieces [see \textit{S. Wagon}, The Banach-Tarski paradox. Cambridge University Press (1985; Zbl 0569.43001) and \textit{M. M. Day}, Ill. J. Math. 1, 509-544 (1957; Zbl 0078.29402)]. A semigroup \(S\) has common right multiples (abbreviated as CRM's) if for each \(a,b\in S\), there exists \(x,y\in S\), such that \(ax=by\). For a cancellative semigroup \(S\) which has CRM's let \(G\) be the group of right fractions of \(S\). Let \(S^{-1}=\{x\in G\mid x=s^{-1}\) for some \(s\in S\}\) be the negative semigroup of \(G\) and \(m,n\) be natural numbers with \(m,n\geq 1\). We say that there exists an external paradoxical decomposition of \(S^{-1}\) using \(n+m\) pieces if there exist \(n+m\) pairwise disjoint subsets \(A_1,\dots,A_n,B_1,\dots,B_m\subseteq S^{-1}\) and \(n+m\) elements \(a_1,\dots,a_n,b_1,\dots,b_m\in S\) such that \(S^{-1}=\coprod^n_{i=1}A_ia_i=\coprod^m_{j=1}B_jb_j\). Let \(S\) be a cancellative semigroup which has CRM's and \(G\) be the group of right fractions of \(S\). Then the negative semigroup of \(S^{-1}\) is not right amenable if and only if there exists a paradoxical decomposition of \(S^{-1}\). Moreover, there exists an external paradoxical decomposition of \(S^{-1}\) using 4 pieces if and only if \(G\) contains a free subgroup on 2 generators. In conclusion, the author states some necessary conditions that an external paradoxical decomposition of the negative semigroup of Richard Thompson's group \(F\) must satisfy for such an external paradoxical decomposition to exist.