Cancellable Finite Semigroup is Group

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Theorem

Let $\struct {S, \circ}$ be a non-empty finite semigroup in which all elements are cancellable.

Then $\struct {S, \circ}$ is a group.


Proof

As $\struct {S, \circ}$ is a semigroup, it is a fortiori closed and associative.

It remains to be shown that:

$\struct {S, \circ}$ has an identity
every element of $S$ has an inverse in $S$.


Let $a \in S$ be arbitrary.

Let the mapping $\lambda_a: S \to S$ be the left regular representation of $\struct {S, \circ}$ with respect to $a$.

By Regular Representation wrt Cancellable Element on Finite Semigroup is Bijection, $\lambda_a$ is a bijection.


We have by hypothesis that:

$\struct {S, \circ}$ is non-empty
all elements of $S$ are cancellable
$S$ is finite.


Existence of Identity Element
\(\ds \exists e \in S: \, \) \(\ds \map {\lambda_a} e\) \(=\) \(\ds a\) as $\lambda_a$ is a surjection
\(\ds \leadsto \ \ \) \(\ds a \circ e\) \(=\) \(\ds a\) Definition of Left Regular Representation


Let $x \in S$ be arbitrary.

Then:

\(\ds a \circ \paren {e \circ x}\) \(=\) \(\ds a \circ x\) Semigroup Axiom $\text S 0$: Closure
\(\ds \leadsto \ \ \) \(\ds e \circ x\) \(=\) \(\ds x\) Definition of Cancellable Element
\(\ds \leadsto \ \ \) \(\ds x \circ \paren {e \circ x}\) \(=\) \(\ds x \circ x\) Semigroup Axiom $\text S 0$: Closure
\(\ds \leadsto \ \ \) \(\ds \paren {x \circ e} \circ x\) \(=\) \(\ds x \circ x\) Semigroup Axiom $\text S 1$: Associativity
\(\ds \leadsto \ \ \) \(\ds x \circ e\) \(=\) \(\ds x\) Definition of Cancellable Element


Thus $e$ is an identity element.

By Identity is Unique, there is only one such.


Existence of Inverse Elements
\(\ds \exists y \in S: \, \) \(\ds \map {\lambda_a} y\) \(=\) \(\ds e\) as $\lambda_a$ is a surjection
\(\ds \leadsto \ \ \) \(\ds a \circ y\) \(=\) \(\ds e\) Definition of Left Regular Representation

Hence $y$ acts as a right inverse for $a$.

As $a$ is arbitrary, it follows that all $a \in S$ have a right inverse.

From Right Inverse for All is Left Inverse, each of these elements is also a left inverse, and therefore an inverse.


Thus $S$ is closed, associative, has an identity and every element has an inverse.

So, by definition, $\struct {S, \circ}$ is a group.

$\blacksquare$


Also see


Sources