Products of three idempotent transformations

Let \(X\) be an arbitrary set and denote by \(T(X)\) the full transformation semigroup on \(X\). The authors are concerned primarily with determining when an element \(\alpha\) in \(T(X)\) is the product of three proper (not the identity map) idempotent elements of \(T(X)\) and they consider the problem for certain related semigroups as well. In addition, they discuss the problem of determining when an element is the product of two and four proper idempotents. Each element \(\alpha\in T(X)\) determines a `partition' \(\text{par\,}\alpha\) of \(X\) which is defined by \(\text{par\,}\alpha=\{y\alpha^{-1}:y\in X\alpha\}\). If \(\text{par\,}\alpha=\{A_i\}\) then a collection \(\{a_i\}\) is defined to be a cross-section of \(\text{par\,}\alpha\) if \(a_i\in A_i\) for each \(i\). Let \(\alpha\in T(X)\) have range \(\{b_i\}\). The authors prove that \(\alpha\) is a product of three proper idempotents of \(T(X)\) if and only if \(\alpha\) is non-injective and there is a cross-section \(\{a_i\}\) of \(\text{par\,}\alpha\) such that if \(K=\{i\in I:a_i\in X\alpha\setminus b_i\}\) then there exist distinct elements \(c_k\in X\setminus[(X\alpha\setminus b_k)\cup\{a_i\}]\) for each \(k\in K\). Let \(r(\alpha)=|X\alpha|\), \(d(\alpha)=|X\setminus X\alpha|\), \(s(\alpha)=|\{x\in X:x\alpha\neq x\}|\), and \(c(\alpha)=|\bigcup\{y\alpha^{-1}:|y\alpha^{-1}|\geq 2\}|\). These sets are referred to respectively as the `rank', `defect', `shift', and `collapse' of \(\alpha\). Let \(|X|=m\geq\aleph_0\) and let \(Q_m= \{\alpha\in T(X):d(\alpha)=s(\alpha)=c(\alpha)=m\}\). The set \(I_m= \{\alpha\in Q_m:r(\alpha)<m\}\) is an ideal of \(Q_m\) and the Rees quotient \(Q_m/I_m\) is denoted by \(P_m\). Let \(K_m=\{\alpha\in P_m:|y\alpha^{-1}|=m\) for some \(y\in X\}\cup\{0\}\) and \(L_m=\{\alpha\in P_m:\) for all \(p<m\), there exists a \(y\in X\) such that \(|y\alpha^{-1}|>p\}\cup\{0\}\). \(K_m\) is a \(0\)-simple regular subsemigroup of \(L_m\) and \(L_m\) is a \(0\)-simple regular subsemigroup of \(P_m\). Let \(S=K_m\) or \(S=L_m\) and suppose \(\alpha\in S\) is nonzero and has range \(\{b_i\}\). The authors prove that \(\alpha\) is a product of two idempotents of \(S\) if and only if there is a cross-section \(\{a_i\}\) of \(\text{par\,}\alpha\) such that \(a_i\in(X\setminus X\alpha)\cup b_i\) for each \(i\) and \(|(X\setminus X\alpha)\setminus\{a_i: a_i\neq b_i\}|=m\). There are a number of results in the paper in addition to the ones we have discussed but hopefully what we have discussed is sufficient to give some idea of the nature of the paper.

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