Semigroups ofI-Type

Abstract

Assume thatSis a semigroup generated by {x1,...,xn}, and let U be the multiplicative free commutative semigroup generated by {u1,...,un}. We say thatSis ofI-typeif there is a bijectivev:U→Ssuch that for alla∈U, {v(u1a),...,v(una)}={x1v(a),...,x nv(a)}. This condition appeared naturally in the work on Sklyanin algebras by John Tate and the second author. In this paper we show that the condition for a semigroup to be ofI-type is related to various other mathematical notions found in the literature. In particular we show that semigroups ofI-type appear in the study of the set-theoretic solutions of the Yang-Baxter equation, in the theory of Bieberbach groups, and in the study of certain skew binomial polynomial rings which were introduced by the first author. © 1998 Academic Press.