On the graph condition regarding the \(F\)-inverse cover problem (Q309948)

Let \(\sigma\) be the smallest group congruence on an inverse monoid \(M\). If each \(\sigma\)-class contains a greatest element in the natural partial order, then \(M\) is said to be an \(F\)-inverse monoid. An \(F\)-inverse cover of an inverse monoid \(M\) is given by an \(F\)-inverse monoid \(F\) and an idempotent separating homomorphism from \(F\) onto \(M\). While it is well known that every inverse monoid admits an \(F\)-inverse cover, it remains an open problem whether every finite inverse monoid admits a finite \(F\)-inverse cover, a problem which was raised by \textit{K. Henckell} and \textit{J. Rhodes} [in: Monoids and semigroups with applications. Proceedings of the Berkeley workshop in monoids, Berkeley, CA, USA, 31 July -- 5 August 1989. Singapore etc.: World Scientific Publishing. 453--463 (1991; Zbl 0826.20054)]. The starting point for the present paper is the formulation of the finite \(F\)-inverse cover problem in terms of a property of finite graphs involving a locally finite group variety due to \textit{K. Auinger} and \textit{M. B. Szendrei} [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 204, No. 3, 493--506 (2006; Zbl 1098.20048)]. This property may be stated as follows. Given a finite graph \(\Gamma\) and a variety \(\mathcal V\) of inverse categories, denote by \(F_{\mathcal V}(\Gamma)\) the free \(\mathcal V\)-category on~\(\Gamma\). For a variety \(\mathcal W\) of inverse monoids, denote by \(g\mathcal W\) the variety of inverse categories that it generates, inverse monoids being viewed as single-vertex inverse categories. Then, the property in question is that, for every finite graph \(\Gamma\), there is a locally finite variety of groups \(\mathcal U\) and a dual premorphism \(F_{g\mathcal U}(\Gamma)\to F_{g\mathcal Sl}(\Gamma)\) which fixes \(\Gamma\). Besides fixing some errors in the paper by Auinger and Szendrei [loc. cit.], turning the focus to the variety of groups \(\mathcal U\) and considering the finite graphs for which the previous property holds, the author shows that one obtains a class of graphs which is characterized by (a finite number of) forbidden minors. Such forbidden minors are then explicitly computed for all varieties of abelian groups.