On the compact semigroup rings (Q4382450)

Contracted semigroup rings \(RS\) that admit a compact topology are investigated. It is assumed that \(S\) is a semisimple semigroup with zero and \(R\) is a unitary ring. The main result shows that, if \(S\) is a monoid with an ideal chain \(0=S_0\subset S_1\subset\cdots\subset S_n=S\) with completely \(0\)-simple factors, and such that \(| S\setminus S_k|<\infty\) for some \(k\), then \(S_{k+1}/S_k\) has finitely many \(\mathcal R\)-classes or finitely many \(\mathcal L\)-classes. An example is given to show that, in general, the assertion is not true for other principal factors of \(S\). Related results on algebraically compact semigroup rings and on self-injective semigroup rings can be found in the authors' paper [Semigroup Forum 39, No. 2, 215-248 (1989; Zbl 0669.20051)]\ and in the reviewer's monograph [``Semigroup Algebras'', Marcel Dekker, New York (1990; Zbl 0725.16001)].