Improved lower bounds for the complexity of finite semigroups (Q2559565)

If \(S\) and \(T\) are semigroups then \(S| T\) means that \(S\) is a homomorphic image of a subsemigroup of \(T\). A semigroup is called combinatorial if it contains trivial subgroups only. \((X,T)\) is a semigroup \(T\) of transformations of a set \(X\). All semigroups considered are finite. For every semigroup \(S\) there exists a sequence of transformation semigroups such that \(S| (X_n,T_n)\wr \cdots \wr(X_1,T_1)\) where \(\wr\) denotes the wreath product of transformation semigroups. Factors in the above wreath product are alternately transformation groups and combinatorial semigroups. The minimal possible number of groups in the above wreath product is called the group complexity of \(S\) and is denoted by \(\#_C(S)\). The authors define two distinctly different types of semigroups: if \(T\) is a subsemigroup of type II of a semigroup \(S\) of type I, then \(\#_C(T)<\#_C(S)\). Clearly, this device helps in evaluating the group complexity of semigroups. The semigroups of both types are studied in the paper (which, in a sense, may be considered as a continuation to the previous paper by the authors [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 1, 79--95 (1971; Zbl 0259.20051)]. There are given new lower bounds of group complexity; it is shown that there exist semigroups of arbitrary complexity whose idempotents generate a combinatorial semigroup.