Generating sets of finite singular transformation semigroups

Abstract

J.M. Howie proved that $\operatorname {Sing}_{n}$, the semigroup of all singular mappings of {1,…,n} into itself, is generated by its idempotents of defect 1 (in J. London Math. Soc. 41, 707–716, 1966). He also proved that if n≥3 then a minimal generating set for $\operatorname {Sing}_{n}$ contains n(n−1)/2 transformations of defect 1 (in Gomes and Howie, Math. Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 101. 395–403, 1987). In this paper we find necessary and sufficient conditions for any set for transformations of defect 1 in $\operatorname {Sing}_{n}$ to be a (minimal) generating set for $\operatorname {Sing}_{n}$.