Semigroup actions, covering spaces and Schützenberger groups. (Q5962329)

The author claims that ``the purpose of this article is to demonstrate that standard topological and geometric techniques from group theory can be used to study semigroups''. Let \(P(V)\) denote the partial transformation semigroup of a non-empty set \(V\). A homomorphism \(\varphi\) of a semigroup \(S\) into \(P(V)\) is called an action of \(S\) on \(V\), the result of the action is written \(vs\) if it is defined for \(v\in V\) and \(s\in S\) . The action is called transitive if for every two different elements \(v_1,v_2\in V\), there exists \(s\in S\) such that \(v_1s=v_2\). The author constructs a connected 2-complex \(K(V)\) for a given semigroup presentation \(\langle X\mid R\rangle\) of a semigroup \(S\) and a transitive action of \(S\) on a set \(V\). A sufficient condition is given for \(K(V)\) to be simply connected. As a consequence, topological proofs are obtained of known results concerning finite presentability of maximal subgroups and Schützenberger groups of semigroups. The author gives also a geometrical proof that a finitely generated regular semigroup with finitely many idempotents has polynomial growth if and only if all its maximal subgroups are virtually nilpotent.