On the congruence extension property for semigroups: preservation under homomorphic images (Q5936912)

The author [Semigroup Forum 56, No. 2, 228--264 (1998; Zbl 0981.20050)] described all semigroups with the congruence extension property -- that each congruence on each subsemigroup should extend to a congruence on the whole semigroup. Each such semigroup is a semilattice of nil extensions of rectangular groups, satisfying a number of simple additional conditions. While complex, these conditions are readily testable, especially in restricted classes of semigroups such as the regular ones, where a solution had already been found by the reviewer [in Semigroups: algebraic theory and applications to formal languages and codes, World Scientific, Singapore. 133--143 (1993; Zbl 0810.20049)]. The latter proved that the class of regular semigroups with the congruence extension property is closed under homomorphic images. The author now proves that this is true for all semigroups, answering a question of long standing.