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Stuart Margolis

Publications and source records attributed to Stuart Margolis.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Aperiodic Flows on Finite Semigroups II: Smallish Monoids Suffice for Complexity 1

A smallish monoid M is a monoid that has a unique 0-minimal ideal I(M) that is a 0-simple subsemigroup and such that its regular J -classes are the group of units and the two in I(M). We show constructively how to embed an arbitrary finite semigroup S into the evaluation semigroup of a smallish monoid S^{Ev} . We use the theory of flows to show that a group mapping semigroup S admits an aperiodic flow if and only if S^{Ev} admits one. This reduces the computation of Krohn-Rhodes complexity 1 to the class of smallish monoids.

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arXiv2026

Bases of Permutation Groups and Boolean Representable Simplicial Complexes

A base of a permutation group (X,G) is a subset B of X such that its pointwise stabilizer is the trivial group. A list (x1,x2, ... ,xk) of elements of X is irredundant if each element is not in the pointwise stabilizer of its predecessors. We define a Boolean representable simplicial complex B(X,G) such that a subset Y of X is independent if and only if some enumeration of its elements is irredundant. In addition Y is a base if and only if its closure is X. We give a number of examples and close with a conjecture whose solution leads to a new proof of the Feit-Thompson Theorem.

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arXiv2024

Aperiodic Flows on Finite Semigroups: Foundations and First Examples

The theory of flows was used as a crucial tool in the recent proof by Margolis, Rhodes and Schilling that Krohn-Rhodes complexity is decidable. In this paper we begin a systematic study of aperiodic flows. We give the foundations of the theory of flows and give a unified approach to the Presentation Lemma and its relations to flows and the Slice Theorem. We completely describe semigroups having a flow over the trivial semigroup and connect this to classical results in inverse semigroup theory. We reinterpret Tilson's Theorem on the complexity of small monoids in terms of flows. We conclude with examples of semigroups built from the character table of Abelian Groups that have an aperiodic flows.

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arXiv2024

Decidability of Krohn-Rhodes complexity for all finite semigroups and automata

The Krohn-Rhodes Theorem proves that a finite semigroup divides a wreath product of groups and aperiodic semigroups. Krohn-Rhodes complexity equals the minimal number of groups that are needed. Determining an algorithm to compute complexity has been an open problem for more than 50 years. The main result of this paper proves that it is decidable whether a semigroup has complexity k for any k greater than or equal to 0. This builds on our previous work for complexity 1. In that paper we proved using profinite methods and results on free Burnside semigroups by McCammond and others that the lower bound from a 2012 paper by Henckell, Rhodes and Steinberg is precise for complexity 1. In this paper we define an improved version of the lower bound from the 2012 paper and prove that it is exact for arbitrary complexity.

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arXiv2023

Topics in Boolean Representable Simplicial Complexes

We study a number of topics in the theory of Boolean Representable Simplicial Complexes (BRSC). These include various operators on BRSC. We look at shellability in higher dimensions and propose a number of new conjectures.

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arXiv2023

On the minimal faithful degree of Rhodes semisimple semigroups

In this paper we compute the minimum degree of a faithful representation by partial transformations of a finite semigroup admitting a faithful completely reducible matrix representation over the field of complex numbers. This includes all inverse semigroups, and hence our results generalize earlier results of Easdown and Schein on the minimal faithful degree of an inverse semigroup. It also includes well-studied monoids like full matrix monoids over finite fields and the monoid of binary relations (i.e., matrices over the Boolean semiring). Our answer reduces the computation to considerations of permutation representations of maximal subgroups that are faithful when restricted to distinguished normal subgroups. This is analogous to (and inspired by) recent results of the second author on the minimal number of irreducible constituents in a faithful completely reducible complex matrix representation of a finite semigroup that admits one. To illustrate what happens when a finite semigroup does not admit a faithful completely reducible representation, we compute the minimum faithful degree of the opposite monoid of the full transformation monoid.

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arXiv2021

Decidability of Krohn-Rhodes complexity $c = 1$ of finite semigroups and automata

When decomposing a finite semigroup into a wreath product of groups and aperiodic semigroups, complexity measures the minimal number of groups that are needed. Determining an algorithm to compute complexity has been an open problem for almost 60 years. The main result of this paper proves decidability of Krohn-Rhodes complexity $c = 1$ of finite semigroups and automata. This is achieved by showing the lower bounds in work by Henckell, Rhodes and Steinberg from 2012 is sharp using profinite methods and results of McCammond from 1991 and 2001.

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arXiv2020

Ehresmann Semigroups Whose Categories are EI and Their Representation Theory : Extended Version

We study simple and projective modules of a certain class of Ehresmann semigroups, a well-studied generalization of inverse semigroups. Let $S$ be a finite right (left) restriction Ehresmann semigroup whose corresponding Ehresmann category is an EI-category, that is, every endomorphism is an isomorphism. We show that the collection of finite right restriction Ehresmann semigroups whose categories are EI is a pseudovariety. We prove that the simple modules of the semigroup algebra $\Bbbk S$ (over any field $\Bbbk$) are formed by inducing the simple modules of the maximal subgroups of $S$ via the corresponding Sch\"{u}tzenberger module. Moreover, we show that over fields with good characteristic the indecomposable projective modules can be described in a similar way but using generalized Green's relations instead of the standard ones. As a natural example, we consider the monoid $\mathcal{PT}_{n}$ of all partial functions on an $n$-element set. Over the field of complex numbers, we give a natural description of its indecomposable projective modules and obtain a formula for their dimension. Moreover, we find certain zero entries in its Cartan matrix.

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arXiv2018

The algebra of the Catalan monoid as an incidence algebra: A simple proof

We give a direct straightforward proof that there is an isomorphism between the algebra of the Catalan monoid C_n that is, the monoid of all order-preserving, weakly increasing self-maps f of [n] = {1,...,n}, over any commutative ring with identity and the incidence algebra of a certain poset over the ring.

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arXiv2017

Projective indecomposable modules and quivers for monoid algebras

We give a construction of the projective indecomposable modules and a description of the quiver for a large class of monoid algebras including the algebra of any finite monoid whose principal right ideals have at most one idempotent generator. Our results include essentially all families of finite monoids for which this has been done previously, for example, left regular bands, $\mathscr J$-trivial and $\mathscr R$-trivial monoids and left regular bands of groups.

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arXiv2017

On the subsemigroup complex of an aperiodic Brandt semigroup

We introduce the subsemigroup complex of a finite semigroup S as a (boolean representable) simplicial complex defined through chains in the lattice of subsemigroups of S. We present a research program for such complexes, illustrated through the particular case of combinatorial Brandt semigroups. The results include alternative characterizations of faces and facets, asymptotical estimates on the number of facets, or establishing when the complex is pure or a matroid.

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arXiv2015

On the lattice of flats of a boolean representable simplicial complex

It is shown that the lattices of flats of boolean representable simplicial complexes are always atomistic, but semimodular if and only if the complex is a matroid. A canonical construction is introduced for arbitrary finite atomistic lattices, providing a characterization of the lattices of flats of boolean representable simplicial complexes and a decidability condition. We remark that every finite lattice occurs as the lattice of flats of some simplicial complex.

math.CO↗
arXiv2015

On the topology of a boolean representable simplicial complex

It is proved that fundamental groups of boolean representable simplicial complexes are free and the rank is determined by the number and nature of the connected components of their graph of flats for dimension $\geq 2$. In the case of dimension 2, it is shown that boolean representable simplicial complexes have the homotopy type of a wedge of spheres of dimensions 1 and 2. Also in the case of dimension 2, necessary and sufficient conditions for shellability and being sequentially Cohen-Macaulay are determined. Complexity bounds are provided for all the algorithms involved.

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arXiv2015

Cell complexes, poset topology and the representation theory of algebras arising in algebraic combinatorics and discrete geometry

In recent years it has been noted that a number of combinatorial structures such as real and complex hyperplane arrangements, interval greedoids, matroids and oriented matroids have the structure of a finite monoid called a left regular band. Random walks on the monoid model a number of interesting Markov chains such as the Tsetlin library and riffle shuffle. The representation theory of left regular bands then comes into play and has had a major influence on both the combinatorics and the probability theory associated to such structures. In a recent paper, the authors established a close connection between algebraic and combinatorial invariants of a left regular band by showing that certain homological invariants of the algebra of a left regular band coincide with the cohomology of order complexes of posets naturally associated to the left regular band. The purpose of the present monograph is to further develop and deepen the connection between left regular bands and poset topology. This allows us to compute finite projective resolutions of all simple modules of left regular band algebras over fields and much more. In the process, we are led to define the class of CW left regular bands as the class of left regular bands whose associated posets are the face posets of regular CW complexes. Most of the examples that have arisen in the literature belong to this class. A new and important class of examples is a left regular band structure on the face poset of a CAT(0) cube complex. Also, the recently introduced notion of a COM (complex of oriented matroids or conditional oriented matroid) fits nicely into our setting and includes CAT(0) cube complexes and certain more general CAT(0) zonotopal complexes. A fairly complete picture of the representation theory for CW left regular bands is obtained.

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arXiv2013

Poset topology and homological invariants of algebras arising in algebraic combinatorics

We present a beautiful interplay between combinatorial topology and homological algebra for a class of monoids that arise naturally in algebraic combinatorics. We explore several applications of this interplay. For instance, we provide a new interpretation of the Leray number of a clique complex in terms of non-commutative algebra. R\'esum\'e. Nous pr\'esentons une magnifique interaction entre la topologie combinatoire et l'alg\`ebre homologique d'une classe de mono\"ides qui figurent naturellement dans la combinatoire alg\'ebrique. Nous explorons plusieurs applications de cette interaction. Par exemple, nous introduisons une nouvelle interpr\'etation du nombre de Leray d'un complexe de clique en termes de la dimension globale d'une certaine alg\`ebre non commutative.

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arXiv2012

Semigroups embeddable in hyperplane face monoids

The left regular band structure on a hyperplane arrangement and its representation theory provide an important connection between semigroup theory and algebraic combinatorics. A finite semigroup embeds in a real hyperplane face monoid if and only if it is in the quasivariety generated by the monoid obtained by adjoining an identity to the two-element left zero semigroup. We prove that this quasivariety is on the one hand polynomial time decidable, and on the other minimally non-finitely based. A similar result is obtained for the semigroups embeddable in complex hyperplane semigroups.

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arXiv2012

Combinatorial Topology and the Global Dimension of Algebras Arising in Combinatorics

In a highly influential paper, Bidigare, Hanlon and Rockmore showed that a number of popular Markov chains are random walks on the faces of a hyperplane arrangement. Their analysis of these Markov chains took advantage of the monoid structure on the set of faces. This theory was later extended by Brown to a larger class of monoids called left regular bands. In both cases, the representation theory of these monoids played a prominent role. In particular, it was used to compute the spectrum of the transition operators of the Markov chains and to prove diagonalizability of the transition operators. In this paper, we establish a close connection between algebraic and combinatorial invariants of a left regular band: we show that certain homological invariants of the algebra of a left regular band coincide with the cohomology of order complexes of posets naturally associated to the left regular band. For instance, we show that the global dimension of these algebras is bounded above by the Leray number of the associated order complex. Conversely, we associate to every flag complex a left regular band whose algebra has global dimension precisely the Leray number of the flag complex.

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