Let $C_c^{*}(\mathbb{N}^{2})$ be the universal $C^{*}$-algebra generated by a semigroup of isometries $\{v_{(m,n)}\,:\, m,n \in \mathbb{N}\}$ whose range projections commute. We analyse the structure of KMS states on $C_{c}^{*}(\mathbb{N}^2)$ for the time evolution determined by a homomorphism $c\,:\,\mathbb{Z}^{2} \to \mathbb{R}$. In contrast to the reduced version $C_{red}^{*}(\mathbb{N}^{2})$, we show that the set of KMS states on $C_{c}^{*}(\mathbb{N}^{2})$ has a rich structure. In particular, we exhibit uncountably many extremal KMS states of type I, II and III.

The direct product $\mathbb{N}\times \mathbb{N}$ of two free monogenic semigroups contains uncountably many pairwise nonisomorphic subdirect products. Furthermore, the following hold for $\mathbb{N}\times S$, where $S$ is a finite semigroup. It contains only countably many pairwise nonisomorphic subsemigroups if and only if $S$ is a union of groups. And it contains only countably many pairwise nonisomorphic subdirect products if and only if every element of $S$ has a relative left or right identity element.

First, we prove a theorem on dynamics of actions of monoids by endomorphisms of semigroups. Second, we introduce algebraic structures suitable for formalizing infinitary Ramsey statements and prove a theorem that such statements are implied by the existence of appropriate homomorphisms between the algebraic structures. We make a connection between the two themes above, which allows us to prove some general Ramsey theorems for sequences. We give a new proof of the Furstenberg–Katznelson Ramsey theorem; in fact, we obtain a version of this theorem that is stronger than the original one. We answer in the negative a question of Lupini on possible extensions of Gowers’ Ramsey theorem.

This paper studies the growths of endomorphisms of finitely generated semigroups. The growth is a certain dynamical characteristic describing how iterations of the endomorphism ‘stretch’ balls in the Cayley graph of the semigroup. We make a detailed study of the relation of the growth of an endomorphism of a finitely generated semigroup and the growth of the restrictions of the endomorphism to finitely generated invariant subsemigroups. We also study the possible values endomorphism growths can attain. We show the role of linear algebra in calculating the growths of endomorphisms of homogeneous semigroups. Proofs are a mixture of syntactic algebraic rewriting techniques and analytical tricks. We state various problems and suggestions for future research.

A magma$\left( M,\star \right)$ is a nonempty set with a binary operation. A double magma$\left( M,\star ,\bullet \right)$ is a nonempty set with two binary operations satisfying the interchange law$\left( w\star x \right)\bullet \left( y\star z \right)=\left( w\bullet y \right)\star \left( x\bullet z \right)$. We call a double magma proper if the two operations are distinct, and commutative if the operations are commutative. A double semigroup, first introduced by Kock, is a double magma for which both operations are associative. Given a non-trivial group $G$ we define a system of two magma $\left( G,\star ,\bullet \right)$ using the commutator operations $x\star y=\left[ x,y \right]\left( ={{x}^{-1}}{{y}^{-1}}xy \right)$ and $x\bullet y=\left[ y,x \right]$. We show that $\left( G,\star ,\bullet \right)$ is a double magma if and only if $G$ satisfies the commutator laws $\left[ x,y;x,z \right]=1$ and ${{\left[ w,x;y,z \right]}^{2}}=1$. We note that the first law defines the class of 3-metabelian groups. If both these laws hold in $G$, the double magma is proper if and only if there exist ${{x}_{0}},{{y}_{0}}\in G$ for which ${{\left[ {{x}_{0}},{{y}_{0}} \right]}^{2}}\ne 1$. This double magma is a double semigroup if and only if $G$ is nilpotent of class two. We construct a specific example of a proper double semigroup based on the dihedral group of order 16. In addition, we comment on a similar construction for rings using Lie commutators.

To each discrete left cancellative semigroup S one may associate an inverse semigroup Il(S), often called the left inverse hull of S. We show how the full and reduced C*-algebras of Il(S) are related to the full and reduced semigroup C*-algebras for S, recently introduced by Li, and give conditions ensuring that these algebras are isomorphic. Our picture provides an enhanced understanding of Li's algebras.

The homomorphic image of a congruence is always a tolerance (relation) but, within a given variety, a tolerance is not necessarily obtained this way. By a Maltsev-like condition, we characterise varieties whose tolerances are homomorphic images of their congruences (TImC). As corollaries, we prove that the variety of semilattices, all varieties of lattices, and all varieties of unary algebras have TImC. We show that a congruence n-permutable variety has TImC if and only if it is congruence permutable, and construct an idempotent variety with a majority term that fails TImC.

We study commutation properties of subsets of right-angled Artin groups and trace monoids. We show that if Γ is any graph not containing a four-cycle without chords, then the group G(Γ) does not contain four elements whose commutation graph is a four-cycle; a consequence is that G(Γ) does not have a subgroup isomorphic to a direct product of non-abelian groups. We also obtain corresponding and more general results in the monoid case.

We prove that up to isomorphism $\langle a,b\,\vert\, ab=0\rangle$ is the unique principal Rees quotient of a free inverse semigroup that is not trivial or monogenic with zero, satisfying a nontrivial identity in signature with involution.

We prove that there is no algorithm to determine when an amalgam of finite rings (or semigroups) can be embedded in the class of rings or in the class of finite rings (respectively, in the class of semigroups or in the class of finite semigroups). These results are in marked contrast with the corresponding problems for groups where every amalgam of finite groups can be embedded in a finite group.