Polynomial maps and polynomial sequences in groups (Q6565828)

Let \(f: A \rightarrow B\) be a function between two abelian groups \((A,+)\) and \((B,+)\), then the finite forward difference of \(f\) with increment \(a\in A\) is \(\Delta_{a}f(x)=f(x+a)-f(x)\). Let \(a_{1}, a_{2}, \dots, a_{d+1} \in A\) and \(\Delta_{(a_{1},a_{2}, \dots, a_{d+1})}=\Delta_{a_{1}} \circ \Delta_{a_{2}} \circ \dots \circ \Delta_{a_{d+1}}\), then \(f\) is a polynomial of degree \(d\) if \(\Delta_{(a_{1},a_{2}, \dots, a_{d+1})} f(x) \equiv 0\) for every \(a_{1}, a_{2}, \dots, a_{d+1} \in A\) (and \(\Delta_{(a_{1},a_{2}, \dots, a_{t+1})} f(x) \equiv 0\) for every \(t<d\) and some \(a_{1},a_{2}, \dots, a_{t+1} \in A\)). \textit{A. Leibman} [J. Algebra 201, No. 1, 189--206 (1998; Zbl 0908.20029)] proposed a theory of polynomial sequences \(\mathbb{Z} \rightarrow G\) in any group \(G\) and of polynomial mappings \(F \rightarrow G\) between two groups [Isr. J. Math. 129, 29--60 (2002; Zbl 1007.20035)].\N\NIn the paper under review, the author develops a modified version of Leibman's group-theoretic generalizations of the difference calculus for polynomial maps from commutative semigroups to groups and he proves that it has many interesting formal properties when the target group is locally nilpotent and also when the semigroup is the set of non-negative integers.