Inverse semi-braces and the Yang-Baxter equation (Q2659134)

Let \(S\) be a set. A map \(r: S \times S \rightarrow S\times S\) is said to satisfy the \emph{set-theoretical Yang-Baxter equation} if \[ (\mathrm{id}_S\times r)(r\times \mathrm{id}_S) (\mathrm{id}_S\times r) = (r\times \mathrm{id}_S)(\mathrm{id}_S\times r)(r\times \mathrm{id}_S) \tag{EqYB}\] The problem of classifying solutions to this equation has led to a whole range of interesting algebraic structures. In this paper, a new such structure is introduced, called \emph{left inverse semibrace}, with the specific aim to construct examples of \emph{non-bijective} maps \(r\) satisyfing (EqYB). A left inverse semibrace consists of a set \(S\) with the structure of a \emph{semigroup} \((S,+)\) (not necessarily commutative) and an \emph{inverse semigroup} \((S,\cdot) = (S,\;)\) satisfying the following compatibility (where the product \(\cdot\) gets priority over \(+\) when evaluating expressions): \[ a (b + c) = ab + a (a^{-1}+c), \] where \(a^{-1}\) is the inverse of \(a\) in \((S,\cdot)\). Putting \[ \lambda_a(b) = a (a^{-1}+b),\qquad \rho_b(a) = (a^{-1}+b)^{-1} b,\qquad a,b\in S, \] the authors then show that \[ r: S \times S\rightarrow S \times S,\qquad (a,b)\mapsto (\lambda_a(b),\rho_b(a)) \] is a solution to (EqYB) once the following identities are satisfied: \begin{itemize} \item \((a+b)(a+b)^{-1} (a+bc) = a+b c\), \item \(\lambda_a(b)^{-1}+\lambda_{\rho_b(a)}(c) = \lambda_a(b)^{-1}+\lambda_{(a^{-1}+b)^{-1}}\lambda_b(c)\), \item \(\rho_b(a)^{-1}+c = (b^{-1}+c)(\rho_{\lambda_b(c)}(a)^{-1}+\rho_c(b))\). \end{itemize} In the remainder of the article, the authors consider three construction methods producing a new left inverse semibrace from two given ones interacting in a particular way: \begin{enumerate} \item the \emph{matched product}, \item the \emph{double semidirect product}, and \item the \emph{asymmetric product}. \end{enumerate} Whereas it is shown that the first construction produces solutions to the Yang-Baxter equation once the components do, this is less clear for the latter two constructions. Indeed, the authors show with specific examples that the double semidirect product does not always produce a solution if its components do. They leave it as an open question for the latter two constructions to find sufficiently general conditions such that the construction provides a solution starting from two left inverse semibraces providing solutions. The authors include a good supply of examples to illustrate the various structures and constructions appearing in the paper.