Search arXiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 2003.12810

Preserving self-similarity in free products of semigroups

Tara Macalister Brough·Jan Philipp Wächter·Janette Welker
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

We improve on earlier results on the closure under free products of the class of automaton semigroups. We consider partial automata and show that the free product of two self-similar semigroups (or automaton semigroups) is self-similar (an automaton semigroup) if there is a homomorphism from one of the base semigroups to the other. The construction used is computable and yields further consequences. One of them is that we can adjoin a free generator to any self-similar semigroup (or automaton semigroup) and preserve the property of self-similarity (or being an automaton semigroup). The existence of a homomorphism between two semigroups is a very lax requirement; in particular, it is satisfied if one of the semigroups contains an idempotent. To explore the limits of this requirement, we show that no simple or $0$-simple idempotent-free semigroup is a finitely generated self-similar semigroup (or an automaton semigroup). Furthermore, we give an example of a pair of residually finite semigroups without a homomorphism from one to the other.

Explore related subjects

math.GRcs.FL

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Tara Macalister Brough, Jan Philipp Wächter, Janette Welker. 2025-08-29. Preserving self-similarity in free products of semigroups. https://doi.org/10.1142/s0218196725500353

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

Subindices and subfactors of $\mathbb{Z}_n$ and $k$-index stability of finite groups

We study subindices, subfactors, and index stability in the cyclic group $\mathbb{Z}_n$. We prove several theorems that not only confirm a conjecture and resolve some open problems about index stability of such groups, but also provide basic tools for the characterization of finite $k$-index stable groups. As a consequence, we completely characterize all 2-element index stable subsets of $\mathbb{Z}_n$, obtain an exact closed formula for their density, and determine all $n$ for which every 2-subset is index unstable. Finally, we present some problems and a research project extending the study to 3-subsets and general $k$-subsets.

math.GR↗
arXiv2026

Virtually generating graphs of pro-$p$ groups

We study the virtually generating graph of pro-$p$ groups. We show that various classes of pro-$p$ groups have connected virtually generating graph and we bound its diameter in these cases; e.g.\ compact subgroups of analytic groups over local fields and the Nottingham group.

math.GR↗
arXiv2026

Surface subgroups of Baumslag doubles along short words

If $U$ is a minimal, diskbusting, finite list of words in a free group $F_n$ of rank $n$ such that the sum of the lengths of words in $U$ is at most $2n+4$, we prove that the natural presentation complex of the Baumslag double of $F_n$ along $U$ virtually contains a $π_1$-injective embedded closed hyperbolic surface. This verifies the Tiling Conjecture of Kim and Wilton for this type of lists of words, and in particular, implies that the corresponding Baumslag double contains a hyperbolic surface subgroup.

math.GR↗