Ideals and idempotents in the uniform ultrafilters (Q684029)

Čech-Stone compactifications are interesting (and can be defined) also from an algebraic point of view, besides their applications to topology and to other branches of mathematics [\textit{L. Gillman} and \textit{M. Jerison}, Rings of continuous functions. The University Series in Higher Mathematics. Princeton-Toronto-London-New York: D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc. (1960; Zbl 0093.30001); \textit{N. Hindman} and \textit{D. Strauss}, Algebra in the Stone-Čech compactification. Theory and applications. 2nd revised and extended ed. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter (2012; Zbl 1241.22001) and Contemp. Math. 530, 121--145 (2010; Zbl 1243.05238)]. If \(S\) is a discrete topological semigroup, then the operation of \(S\) naturally extends to the Čech-Stone compactification \(\beta S\), providing \(\beta S\) with the structure of a right topological semigroup. Under a mild condition, the set \(S^*\) of the free ultrafilters over \(S\) is a subsemigroup of \(\beta S\). If \(S\) is any semigroup, a ``left'' partial order \(\leq_L\) on the set of the idempotent elements of \(S\) can be defined by letting \(p \leq_L q\) if and only if \(pq=p\). The right order \(\leq_R\) is defined symmetrically. Being a compact Hausdorff right topological semigroup, \(S^*\) has right maximal idempotents. On the other hand, the existence of left maximal idempotents in \(S^*\) has been an open problem for a long time. Without special set-theoretical assumptions, this problem has been solved affirmatively in the case of countably infinite groups by \textit{Y. Zelenyuk} [Adv. Math. 262, 593--603 (2014; Zbl 1296.22003)]. In the paper under review, using different methods, the author answers the problem affirmatively in the general case of discrete semigroups, under some mild assumptions which are shown to be necessary for a large part of the results presented. More generally, the paper deals with the existence in \(S^*\) of ideals and idempotents with special topological and algebraic properties. A strong point of the paper is that the results are proved for discrete semigroups of any infinite regular cardinality \(\kappa\), if the set \(U(S)\) of uniform ultrafilters over \(\kappa\) is considered in place of \(S^*\). This is more general, since \(S^* = U(S)\) when \(\kappa= \omega \). Appropriately, the special case \(\kappa= \omega \) is presented with a complete proof before the general case, for which additional arguments are needed, related to work by \textit{J. Baker} and \textit{K. Kunen} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 353, No. 10, 4083--4093 (2001; Zbl 0972.54019)], and \textit{W.R. Brian} and \textit{J.L. Verner} [Fundam. Math. 235, No. 2, 153--166 (2016; Zbl 1420.54039)]. It is open whether the regularity assumption about \(\kappa\) can be dropped; however, a large part of the proofs in the paper work for \(\kappa\) singular, too.