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A Noetherian and confluent rewrite system for idempotent semigroups

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Abstract

Let B be a semigroup with the additional relation

$$\begin{gathered} xx \Rightarrow x \hfill \\ xyz \Rightarrow xz if x \mathop {CI}\limits_ = z and xy\mathop {CI}\limits_ = z \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$

B is called aband or anidempotent semigroup [3].

It is shown in this paper that the replacement rules (rewrites) resulting from the axiom of idempotence:

$$\forall w \in B.ww = w$$

can be replaced by theNoetherian, confluent, conditional rewrites (i. e. a terminating replacement system having the Church-Rosser-Property):

$$\begin{gathered} xx \Rightarrow x \hfill \\ x \Rightarrow xx \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$

These rewrites are used to obtain a unique normal form for words in B and hence are the basis for a decision procedure for word equality in B.

The proof techniques are based uponterm rewriting systems [7] rather than the usual algebraic approach. Alternative and simpler proofs of a result reported earlier by Green and Rees [4] and Gerhardt [6] have been obtained.

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References

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  1. Institut für Informatik I, Universität Karlsruhe, Postfach 6380, 7500, Karlsruhe 1, Federal Republic of Germany

    J. Siekmann & P. Szabó

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  1. J. Siekmann
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  2. P. Szabó
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Communicated by K. Keimel

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Siekmann, J., Szabó, P. A Noetherian and confluent rewrite system for idempotent semigroups. Semigroup Forum 25, 83–110 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02573590

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02573590

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