arXiv subjects

Edmond W. H. Lee

Publications and source records attributed to Edmond W. H. Lee.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Proving at Scale for Universal Algebra

We introduce SemiBase, a project that computes and formally certifies finite identity bases for small semigroups. Deciding finite basability is undecidable for finite algebras and remains open for finite semigroups. The task requires a proof that a candidate basis is complete, or a proof that none exists, rather than a single first-order validity query. LLM-guided agents search for these proofs; a referee agent rebuilds them from source, and the Lean kernel checks the resulting corpus in a final audit. Humans choose targets and approve final outcomes. We certify every semigroup of order at most 6: all 1309 semigroups of order at most 5 and all 15973 of order 6, including proofs that the four known nonfinitely based semigroups have no finite basis. The bases for order 6 define 505 distinct varieties, whose inclusion order Vampire determines except for four pairs. The resulting catalogue is a machine-checked account of results scattered across the literature and a tested foundation for order 7.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2026

Characterization of Cross varieties of $J$-trivial monoids

A finitely based, finitely generated variety with finitely many subvarieties is a Cross variety. In the present article, it is shown that a variety of $J$-trivial monoids is Cross if and only if it excludes as subvarieties a certain list of 14 almost Cross varieties. Consequently, the list of 14 varieties exhausts all almost Cross varieties of $J$-trivial monoids.

math.GR↗

arXiv2022

The lattice of varieties of monoids

We survey results devoted to the lattice of varieties of monoids. Along with known results, some unpublished results are given with proofs. A number of open questions and problems are also formulated.

math.GR↗

arXiv2021

Cancellable elements of the lattice of monoid varieties

The set of all cancellable elements of the lattice of semigroup varieties has recently been shown to be countably infinite. But the description of all cancellable elements of the lattice $\mathbb{MON}$ of monoid varieties remains unknown. This problem is addressed in the present article. The first example of a monoid variety with modular but non-distributive subvariety lattice is first exhibited. Then a necessary condition of the modularity of an element in $\mathbb{MON}$ is established. These results play a crucial role in the complete description of all cancellable elements of the lattice $\mathbb{MON}$. It turns out that there are precisely five such elements.

math.GR↗

arXiv2020

Varieties of monoids with complex lattices of subvarieties

A variety is finitely universal if its lattice of subvarieties contains an isomorphic copy of every finite lattice. Examples of finitely universal varieties of semigroups have been available since the early 1970s, but it is unknown if there exists a finitely universal variety of monoids. The main objective of the present article is to exhibit the first examples of finitely universal varieties of monoids. The finite universality of these varieties is established by showing that the lattice of equivalence relations on every sufficiently large finite set is anti-isomorphic to some subinterval of the lattice of subvarieties.

math.GR↗

arXiv2019

A Survey on Varieties Generated by Small Semigroups and a Companion Website

The aim of this paper is to provide an atlas of identity bases for varieties generated by small semigroups and groups. To help the working mathematician easily find information, we provide a companion website that runs in the background automated reasoning tools, finite model builders, and GAP, so that the user has an automatic \textit{intelligent} guide on the literature. This paper is mainly a survey of what is known about identity bases for semigroups or groups of small orders, and we also mend some gaps left unresolved by previous authors. For instance, we provide the first complete and justified list of identity bases for the varieties generated by a semigroup of order up to~$4$, and the website contains the list of varieties generated by a semigroup of order up to~$5$. The website also provides identity bases for several types of semigroups or groups, such as bands, commutative groups, and metabelian groups. On the inherently non-finitely based finite semigroups side, the website can decide if a given finite semigroup possesses this property or not. We provide some other functionalities such as a tool that outputs the multiplication table of a semigroup given by a $C$-presentation, where~$C$ is any class of algebras defined by a set of first order formulas. The companion website can be found here \url{http://sgv.pythonanywhere.com} Please send any comments/suggestions to \url{jj.araujo@fct.unl.pt}

math.GR↗

arXiv2019

Join irreducible semigroups

We begin a systematic study of finite semigroups that generate join irreducible members of the lattice of pseudovarieties of finite semigroups, which are important for the spectral theory of this lattice. Finite semigroups $S$ that generate join irreducible pseudovarieties are characterized as follows: whenever $S$ divides a direct product $A \times B$ of finite semigroups, then $S$ divides either $A^n$ or $B^n$ for some $n \geq 1$. We present a new operator ${ \mathbf{V} \mapsto \mathbf{V}^\mathsf{bar} }$ that preserves the property of join irreducibility, as does the dual operator, and show that iteration of these operators on any nontrivial join irreducible pseudovariety leads to an infinite hierarchy of join irreducible pseudovarieties. We also describe all join irreducible pseudovarieties generated by a semigroup of order up to five. It turns out that there are $30$ such pseudovarieties, and there is a relatively easy way to remember them. In addition, we survey most results known about join irreducible pseudovarieties to date and generalize a number of results in Sec. 7.3 of The $q$-theory of Finite Semigroups, Springer Monographs in Mathematics (Springer, Berlin, 2009).

math.GR↗

arXiv2018

Monoid varieties with extreme properties

Finite monoids that generate monoid varieties with uncountably many subvarieties seem rare, and surprisingly, no finite monoid is known to generate a monoid variety with countably infinitely many subvarieties. In the present article, it is shown that there are, nevertheless, many finite monoids that generate monoid varieties with continuum many subvarieties; these include any finite inherently non-finitely based monoid and any monoid for which $xyxy$ is an isoterm. It follows that the join of two Cross monoid varieties can have a continuum cardinality subvariety lattice that violates the ascending chain condition. Regarding monoid varieties with countably infinitely many subvarieties, the first example of a finite monoid that generates such a variety is exhibited. A complete description of the subvariety lattice of this variety is given. This lattice has width three and contains only finitely based varieties, all except two of which are Cross.

math.GR↗