On covers of cyclic acts over monoids. (Q958199)

Let \(S\) be a monoid and \(A\) a right \(S\)-act. An \(S\)-act \(C\) together with an epimorphism \(f\colon C\to A\) is a `cover' of \(A\) if there is no proper subact \(B\) of \(C\) such that \(f|_B\) is onto; in this case, \(f\) is called a `coessential epimorphism'. A monoid \(S\) is said to be 1) `left collapsible' if for any \(s,t\in S\) there exists \(r\in S\) with \(rs=rt\) and 2) `right reversible' if for any \(s,t\in S\) there exist \(p,q\in S\) with \(ps=qt\). It is proved that a cyclic \(S\)-act \(S/\rho\) has a strongly flat cover (respectively, (P)-cover) if and only if \([1]_\rho\) contains a left collapsible (right reversible) submonoid \(R\) such that for all \(u\in[1]_\rho\), \(uS\cap R\neq\emptyset\). A cyclic act \(S/\rho\) has a projective cover if and only if the submonoid \([1]_\rho\) of \(S\) has a minimal right ideal generated by an idempotent. Monoids over which all cyclic acts have (P)-covers (respectively, strongly flat or projective covers) are described as well.