Studying semigroups of mappings using quasi-identities (Q5952240)

A \(pq\)-variety \(V\) is a class of finite semigroups closed under the formation of subsemigroups and finitary direct products; (equivalently \(V\) is defined by a set of quasi-identities, that is identities that are formal consequences of a list of other identities. For example, left cancellativity: \((xy=xz\to y=z)\)). Let \(C\) denote a finite chain, \(P\) a finite poset. Denote by \(O(P)\) [resp. \(OE(P)\)] the semigroup of all order-preserving [resp. all order-preserving decreasing] maps on \(P\). Let the \(pq\)-varieties generated by the \(OE(P)\), the \(OE(C)\), and the \(O(C)\) be denoted respectively by \(J^\flat_p\), \(J^\flat_c\), and \(O^\flat\). Let \(J\) denote the \(pq\)-variety of all \(\mathcal J\)-trivial semigroups. It is proved that no semigroup class lying in the interval \([J^\flat_c,J^\flat_p\vee O^\flat]\) can be defined among all finite semigroups by any system of quasi-identities involving only finitely many variables. The second main result is that the interval \([J^\flat_p,J]\) contains a chain of \(pq\)-varieties isomorphic to the chain of the reals.