Algebraic approaches to periodic arithmetical maps (Q5939574)

Motivated by the vector-covering systems defined by \textit{Št. Znám} [Czech. Math. J. 24, 455-461 (1974; Zbl 0311.10003)] the reviewer introduced [Acta Arith. 26, 231-239 (1974; Zbl 0268.10044)] complex weighted systems of finite residue systems (\(\mathcal{A}\)) \(a_s\pmod{n_s}\), \(s=1,\dots,k\), and their covering functions \(w_{\mathcal{A}}(n)=\sum^k _{\substack{ s=1\\ n\equiv a_s(n_s)}}\lambda_s\), where \(\lambda_s\in\mathbb{C}\) is the weight of the \(s\)th class. In the present paper the author pushes this idea further and allows the weights \(\lambda_s\) to be elements of a commutative (additive) monoid \(M\), however, the object of his study are not primarily the properties of systems \(\mathcal{A}\), but properties of the set \(P(M)\) of periodic maps \(\psi:\mathbb{Z}\to M\) and the periodic maps themselves. The set \(P(M)\) is a monoid with respect to the addition of functions and consists of covering functions \(w_{\mathcal{A}}\). Let \(\Omega\) be the set of all residue classes of integers endowed with a multiplication \((a+d\mathbb{Z})\odot(r+n\mathbb{Z})=a+rd+nd\mathbb{Z}\), then the set \(F(M)\) of all maps \(f:\Omega\to M\) is again a commutative monoid under the functional addition. Those \(f\) satisfying (and called equivalent map in the paper) \(\sum_{j=0}^{n-1}f(a+jd+nd\mathbb{Z})=f(a+d\mathbb{Z})\) for any \(a,d,n\in\mathbb{Z}\), \(d,n\) positive, form a submonoid \(E(M)\) of \(F(M)\). In the second section of the paper the author proves several algebraic properties of homomorphisms from \(P(M)\) into \(P(N)\) which commute with the shift operator \(E\) acting trough \(E\psi(n)=\psi(n+1)\), \(n\in\mathbb{Z}\), where \(M,N\) are additive commutative monoids. For instance, the set of such homomorphisms is isomorphic to the set of homomorphisms from \(M\) into \(E(N)\). In the third part the author proves various representations of equivalent maps and shows the connections to some previously known special cases.