A class of inverse monoids acting on ordered forests. (Q705996)

A ``graph of inverse monoids'' \(\mathbf X\) consists of a connected graph \(Y\) and, for each vertex and each edge of \(Y\) a monoid, together with monomorphisms linking those monoids in a certain fashion. Its fundamental inverse monoid \(\pi_1(\mathbf X)\) is defined here in two ways, one by reference to a specific vertex, the other by reference to a specific spanning tree. By proving these two definitions equivalent, the author thereby demonstrates the independence of the choice of vertex or of spanning tree. Amalgamated products and HNN extensions of inverse monoids may be recognized as the fundamental inverse monoids of particular graphs of inverse monoids. Associated with each graph of inverse monoids is its ``universal cover'': a forest \(U(\mathbf X)\), ordered by the semilattice of idempotents of \(\pi_1(\mathbf X)\). The author studies, more generally, the notion of an ``ordered graph'' -- essentially the Clifford construction of a semilattice of groups, applied to a semilattice of connected graphs -- and the actions of inverse monoids on such ordered graphs. It is shown that the fundamental inverse monoid of a graph of inverse monoids acts on its universal cover, in such a way that a ``fundamental domain'' exists for the action. It is then shown that whenever an inverse monoid \(M\) acts on an ordered forest \(X\) with a fundamental domain, a graph of inverse monoids may be constructed whose universal cover is isomorphic to \(X\) and whose fundamental inverse monoid is isomorphic to \(M\). An example is given to show that such a domain need not exist for arbitrary actions of inverse monoids on ordered forests. When the class of inverse monoids is restricted to groups, the Bass-Serre theory results. This fact is also used to represent the maximal subgroups of inverse monoids acting on graphs. The work in this paper extends prior work, for example by \textit{S. Haataja, S. W. Margolis} and \textit{J. Meakin} [J. Algebra 183, No. 1, 38-54 (1996; Zbl 0858.20055)] and the author [J. Aust. Math. Soc. 70, No. 2, 235-272 (2001; Zbl 0987.20042)].