On comparing two chains of numerical semigroups and detecting Arf semigroups (Q5939561)

Let \(S\) be a numerical semigroup. Set the semigroups \(B(S)=M-M:=\{x\in\mathbb{N}\mid x+M\subseteq M\}\) and \(L(S):=\bigcup_{h=1}^\infty(hM-hM)\), where \(M=S\setminus\{0\}\). Consider the semigroup chains \[ B_0(S)\subseteq B_1(S)\subseteq\cdots\subseteq B_h(S)\subseteq\cdots\quad\text{and}\quad L_0(S)\subseteq L_1(S)\subseteq\cdots\subseteq L_h(S)\subseteq\cdots, \] where \(B_i(S)=B(B_{i-1}(S))\), and \(L_i(S)=L(L_{i-1}(S))\). Write, also, \(\beta(S)\) and \(\lambda(S)\) for the least integers such that \(B_{\beta(S)}=\mathbb{N}=B_{\lambda(S)}\). A numerical semigroup is said to be an Arf semigroup when \(B_i(S)=L_i(S)\) for all \(i\geq 0\). Arf semigroups are of interest in algebraic geometry. This paper is devoted to prove that the conjectures \(B_i(S)\subseteq L_i(S)\) and \(\lambda(S)\leq\beta(S)\) need not be true for all numerical semigroups \(S\). The authors give a semigroup \(S\) such that \(B_2(S)\not\subseteq L_2(S)\), and this contradicts both conjectures. However, they present two classes of numerical semigroups which satisfy the above conjectures and get non-Arf semigroups satisfying, for most \(i\), the conjecture.