Steven Duplij, "Higher regularity, inverse and polyadic semigroups", Preprints.org, 202109.0171, version 1

Article
Higher regularity, inverse and polyadic semigroups
Steven Duplij

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Center for Information Technology (WWU IT), Universität Münster, Röntgenstrasse 7-13, 48149 Münster,
Germany
Keywords: regular semigroup, inverse semigroup, polyadic semigroup, idempotent, neutral element
MSC: 20M10; 20M17; 20M18; 20N15
In this note we generalize the regularity concept for semigroups in two ways simul-
taneously: to higher regularity and to higher arity. We show that the one-relational and
multi-relational formulations of higher regularity do not coincide, and each element has
several inverses. The higher idempotents are introduced, and their commutation leads to
unique inverses in the multi-relational formulation, and then further to the higher inverse
semigroups. For polyadic semigroups we introduce several types of higher regularity
which satisfy the arity invariance principle as introduced: the expressions should not
depend of the numerical arity values, which allows us to provide natural and correct binary
limits. In the first definition no idempotents can be defined, analogously to the binary
semigroups, and therefore the uniqueness of inverses can be governed by shifts. In the
second definition called sandwich higher regularity, we are able to introduce the higher
polyadic idempotents, but their commutation does not provide uniqueness of inverses,
because of the middle terms in the higher polyadic regularity conditions.
1. INTRODUCTION
The concept of regularity was introduced in [1] and then widely used in the construc-
tion of regular and inverse semigroups (see, e.g., [2–5] and [6,7], and refs therein).
In this note we propose to generalize the concept of regularity for semigroups in two
different aspects simultaneously: 1) higher regularity, which can be informally interpreted
that each element has several inverse elements; 2) higher arity, which extends the binary
multiplication to that of arbitrary arity, i.e. the consideration of polyadic semigroups.
The higher regularity concept was introduced in semisupermanifold theory [8] for
generalized transition functions, which then gave rise to the development of a new kind of
so called regular obstructed category [9] and to their application to Topological Quantum
Field Theory [10],the Yang-Baxter equation [11] and statistics with a doubly regular R-
matrix [12]. Moreover, it was shown that the higher regular semigroups naturally appear in
the framework of the polyadic-binary correspondence principle [13]. Polyadic semigroups
were introduced in [14], and regular and inverse polyadic semigroups were investigated in
[15–17].
Here we will show that even for binary semigroups the one-relational and multi-
relational formulations of higher regularity are different. The higher regular idempotents
can be introduced, and their commuting leads to the higher inverse semigroups. In the
case of polyadic semigroups, several definitions of regularity and higher regularity can
be introduced. We do not apply reduction in the number of multiplications as in [17]
which can be done in the one-relational approach only, but in this way we also do not
receive polyadic idempotents. Therefore the exchange of the commuting of idempotents
by commuting of shifts [17] is still valid.
To get polyadic idempotents (by analogy with the ordinary regularity for semigroups)
we introduce the so called sandwich regularity for polyadic semigroups (which differs from
[15]). In trying to connect the commutation of idempotents with uniqueness of inverse
elements (as in the standard regularity) in order to obtain inverse polyadic semigroups, we
observe that this is prevented by the middle elements in the sandwich polyadic regularity
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conditions. Thus, further investigations are needed to develop the higher regular and
inverse polyadic semigroups.
2. GENERALIZED n-REGULAR ELEMENTS IN SEMIGROUPS
Here we formulate some basic notions in terms of tuples and the “quantity/number
of multiplications”, in such a way that they can be naturally generalized from the binary to
polyadic case [18].
2.1. Binary n-regular single elements
Indeed, if S is a set, its `th Cartesian product S×` consists of all `-tuples x(`) =
(x1, x2, . . . , x`), xi ∈ S (we omit powers (`) in the obvious cases x(`) ≡ x, ` ∈ N). Let S2 ≡
Sk=2 = hS | µ2, assoc2i be a binary (having arity k = 2) semigroup with the underlying set
S, and the (binary k = 2) multiplication µ2 ≡ µk=2 : S × S → S (sometimes we will denote
µ2[x1, x2] = x1x2). The (binary) associativity assoc2 : (x1x2)x3 = x1(x2x3), ∀xi ∈ S, allows
us to omit brackets, and in the language of tuples x1x2 . . . x` = µ
[`−1]
2
h
x(`)
i
(= x(`) ≡ x,
if the number of elements is not important or evident, and also distinguish between the
product x(`) of ` elements and the `-tuples x(`)), i.e. the product of ` elements contains ` − 1
(binary) multiplications (whereas in the polyadic case this is different [19]). If all elements
in a tuple coincide, we write x` = µ
[`−1]
2
h
x(`)
i
(this form will be important in the polyadic
generalization below). An element xi ∈ S satisfying x` = x (or µ
[`−1]
2
h
x(`)
i
= x) is called
(binary) `-idempotent.
An element x of the semigroup S2 is called (von Neumann) regular, if the equation
xyx = x, or (2.1)
µ
[`−1=2]
k=2 [x, y, x] = x, x, y ∈ S, (2.2)
has a solution y in S2, which need not be unique. An element y is called a regular element
conjugated to x [3] (also, an inverse element [2]). The set of the regular elements conjugated
to x is denoted by Vx [4].
In search of generalizing the regularity condition (2.1) in S2 for the fixed element
x ∈ S, we arrive at the following possibilities:
1. Higher regularity generalization: instead of one element y ∈ S, use an n-tuple y(n) ∈ S×n
and the corresponding product y(n).
2. Higher arity generalization: instead of the binary product µ2, consider the polyadic (or
k-ary semigroup) product with the multiplication µk.
It follows from the generalization (i) that we can write (for the binary case)
Definition 1. An element x of the (binary) semigroup S2 is called higher n-regular, if there exists
(at least one, not necessarily unique) (n − 1)-element solution y(n−1) of
xy(n−1)
x = x, or (2.3)
µ
[n]
k=2
h
x, y(n−1)
, x
i
= x, x, y1, . . . , yn−1 ∈ S. (2.4)
Definition 2. The tuple y(n−1) from (2.4) is called higher n-regular conjugated to x, or y(n−1) is
an n-inverse (tuple) for x.
Without any additional conditions, for instance splitting the tuple y(n−1) for some
reason (as below), the definition (2.3) reduces to the ordinary regularity (2.1), because the
binary semigroup is closed with respect to the multiplication of any number of elements,
and so there exists z ∈ S, such that y(n−1) = z for any y1, . . . , yn−1 ∈ S. Therefore, we have
the following reduction

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Assertion 1. Any higher n-regular element in a binary semigroup is 2-regular (or regular in the
ordinary sense (2.1)).
Indeed, if we consider the higher 3-regularity condition x1x2x3x1 = x1 for a single
element x1, and x2, x3 ∈ S, it obviously coincides with the ordinary regularity condition
for the single element x (2.1). However, if we cycle both the regularity conditions, they
will not necessarily coincide, and new structures can appear. Therefore, using several
different mutually consistent n-regularity conditions (2.3) we will be able to construct
a corresponding (binary) semigroup which will not be reduced to an ordinary regular
semigroup (see below).
2.2. Polyadic n-regular single elements
Following the higher arity generalization (ii), we introduce higher n-regular single
elements in polyadic (k-ary) semigroups and show that the definition of regularity for
higher arities cannot be done similarly to ordinary regularity, but requires a polyadic
analog of n-regularity for a single element of a polyadic semigroup. Before proceeding we
introduce
Definition 3 (Arity invariance principle). In an algebraic universal system with operations of
different arities the general form of expressions should not depend on numerical arity values.
This gives the following prescription for how to generalize expressions from the binary
shape to a polyadic shape:
1. Write down an expression using the operations manifestly.
2. Change arities from the binary values to the needed higher values.
3. Take into account the corresponding changes of tuple lengths according to the concrete
argument numbers of operations.
Example 1. If on a set S one defines a binary operation (multiplication) µ2 : S × S → S, then one
(left) neutral element e ∈ S for x ∈ S is defined by µ2[e, x] = x (usually ex = x). But for 4-ary
operation µ4 : S×4 → S it becomes µ4[e1, e2, e3, x] = x, where e1, e2, e3 ∈ S, so we can have a
neutral sequence e = e(3) = (e1, e2, e3) (a tuple e of the length 3), and only in the particular case
e1 = e2 = e3 = e, do we obtain one neutral element e. Obviously, the composition of two (n = 2)
4-ary (k = 4) operations, denoted by µ
[2]
4 ≡ µ
[`−1=2]
k=4 (as in (2.2)) should act on a word of a length
7, since µ4[µ4[x1, x2, x3, x4], x5, x6, x7], xi ∈ S.
In general, if a polyadic system hS | µki has only one operation (k-ary multiplication),
the length of words is “quantized”
L
(`)
k = `(k − 1) + 1, (2.5)
where ` is a “quantity of multiplications”.
Let Sk = hS | µk, assocki be a polyadic (k-ary) semigroup with the underlying set S, and
the k-ary multiplication µk : S×k → S [19]. The k-ary (total) associativity assock can be treated
as invariance of two k-ary product composition µ
[2]
k with respect to the brackets [18]
assock : µ
[2]
k [x, y, z] = µk[x, µk[y], z] = invariant, ∀xi, yi, zi ∈ S, (2.6)
for all placements of the inner multiplication µk in the r.h.s. of (2.6) with the fixed order-
ing of (2k − 1) elements (see (2.5)), and x, y, z are tuples of the needed length. The total
associativity (2.6) allows us to write a product containing ` multiplications using external
brackets only µ
[`]
k [x] (the long product [20]), where x is a tuple of length `(k − 1) + 1, because
of (2.5). If all elements of the tuple x = x(`) are the same we write it as x(`). A polyadic

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power (reflecting the “number of multiplications”, but not of the number of elements, as in
the binary case) becomes
xhì
= µ
[`]
k
h
x`(k−1)+1
i
, (2.7)
because of (2.5). So the ordinary (binary) power p (as a number of elements in a product
xp, which is different from the tuple x(`)) is p = ` + 1. An element x from a polyadic
semigroup Sk is called polyadic hì-idempotent, if xhì = x, and it is polyadic idempotent, if
[19]
xh`=1i
≡ µk
h
xk
i
= x. (2.8)
Recall also that a left polyadic identity e ∈ S is defined by
µk
h
e(k−1)
, x
i
= x, ∀x ∈ S, (2.9)
and e is a polyadic identity, if x can be on any place. If e = e(x) depends on x, then we call it
a local polyadic identity (see [21] for the binary case). It follows from (2.9) that all polyadic
identities (or neutral elements) are idempotents.
An element x of the polyadic semigroup Sk is called regular [17], if the equation
µ
[2]
k
h
x, y(2k−3)
, x
i
= x, x ∈ S, (2.10)
has 2k − 3 solutions y1, . . . , y2k−3 ∈ S, which need not be unique (since L
(2)
k − 2 = 2k − 3,
see (2.5)). If we have only the relation (2.10), then polyadic associativity allows us to apply
one (internal) polyadic multiplication and remove k − 1 elements to obtain [17]
µk
h
x, z(k−2)
, x
i
= x, x ∈ S, (2.11)
and we call (2.11) the reduced polyadic regularity of a single element, while (2.10) will be
called the full regularity of a single element. Thus, for a single element x ∈ S, by analogy
with Assertion 1, we have
Assertion 2. In a polyadic semigroup Sk, if any single element x ∈ S satisfies regularity (2.10), it
also satisfies reduced regularity (2.11).
From (2.11) it follows
Corollary 1. Reduced regularity exists, if and only if the arity of multiplication has k 2.
Example 2. In the minimal ternary case k = 3 we have the regularity µ
[2]
3 [x1, x2, x3, x4, x1] =
x1, xi ∈ S, and putting z = µ3[x2, x3, x4] gives the reduced regularity
µ3[x1, z, x1] = x1. (2.12)
But these regularities will give different cycles: one is of length 5, and the other is of length 3.
We now construct a polyadic analog of the higher n-regularity condition (2.4) for a
single element.
Definition 4. An element x of a polyadic semigroup Sk is called full higher n-regular, if there
exists (at least one, not necessarily unique) (n(k − 1) − 1)-element solution (tuple) y(n(k−1)−1) of
µ
[n]
k
h
x, y(n(k−1)−1)
, x
i
= x, x, y1, . . . , yn(k−1)−1 ∈ S, n ≥ 2. (2.13)
Definition 5. The tuple y(n(k−1)−1) from (2.13) is called higher n-regular k-ary conjugated to x,

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or y(n(k−1)−1) is n-inverse k-ary tuple for x of the length (n(k − 1) − 1).
Example 3. In the full higher 3-regular ternary semigroup S3 = hS | µ3i we have for each element
x ∈ S the condition
µ
[2]
3 [x, y1, y2, y3, y4, y5, x] = x, (2.14)
and so each element x ∈ S has a 3-inverse ternary 5-tuple y(5) = (y1, y2, y3, y4, y5), or the 5-tuple
y(5) is the higher 3-regular ternary conjugated to x.
Comparing (2.13) with the full regularity condition (2.10) and its reduction (2.11), we
observe that the full n-regularity condition can be reduced several times to get different
versions of reduced regularity for a single element.
Definition 6. An element x of a polyadic semigroup Sk is called m-reduced higher n-
regular, if there exists a (not necessarily unique) ((n − m)(k − 1) − 1)-element solution (tuple)
y((n−m)(k−1)−1) of
µ
[n]
k
h
x, y((n−m)(k−1)−1)
, x
i
= x, x, y1, . . . , y(n−m)(k−1)−1 ∈ S, 1 ≤ m ≤ n − 1, n ≥ 2.
(2.15)
Example 4. In the ternary case k = 3, we have (for a single element x1 ∈ S) the higher 3-regularity
condition
µ
[3]
3 [x1, x2, x3, x4, x5, x6, x1] = x1, xi ∈ S. (2.16)
We can reduce this relation twice, for instance, as follows: put t = µ3[x2, x3, x4] to get
µ
[2]
3 [x1, t, x5, x6, x1] = x1, (2.17)
and then z = µ3[t, x5, x6] and obtain
µ3[x1, z, x1] = x1, t, z ∈ S, (2.18)
which coincides with (2.12). Again we observe that (2.16), (2.17) and (2.18) give different cycles of
the length 7, 5 and 3, respectively.
3. HIGHER n-INVERSE SEMIGROUPS
Here we introduce and study the higher n-regular and n-inverse (binary) semigroups.
We recall the standard definitions to establish notations (see, e.g., [2,3,5]).
There are two different definitions of a regular semigroup:
1. One-relation definition [22].
2. Multi-relation definition [23,24].
According to the one-relation definition (i): A semigroup S ≡ S2 = hS | µ2, assoc2i is
called regular if each element x ∈ S has its regular conjugated element y ∈ S defined by
xyx = x (2.1), and y need not be unique [22].
Elements x1, x2 of S are called inverse to each other (regular conjugated, mutually
regular), if
x1x2x1 = x1, x2x1x2 = x2, (3.1)
µ
[2]
2 [x1, x2, x1] = x1, µ
[2]
2 [x2, x1, x2] = x2, x1, x2 ∈ S. (3.2)
According to the multi-relation definition (ii): A semigroup is called regular, if each
element x1 has its inverse x2 (3.1), and x2 can be not unique.
For a binary semigroup S2 and ordinary 2-regularity these definitions are equivalent
[2,25]. Indeed, if x1 has some regular conjugated element y ∈ S, and x1yx1 = x1, then
choosing x2 = yx1y, we immediately obtain (3.1).

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Definition 7. A 2-tuple X(2) = (x1, x2) ∈ S × S is called 2-regular sequence of inverses, if it
satisfies (3.1).
Thus we can define regular semigroups in terms of regular sequences of inverses.
Definition 8. A binary semigroup is called a regular (or 2-regular) semigroup, if each element
belongs to a (not necessary unique) 2-regular sequence of inverses X(2) ∈ S × S.
3.1. Higher n-regular semigroups
Following [15], in a regular semigroup S2, for each x1 ∈ S there exists x2 ∈ S such
that x1x2x1 = x1, and for x2 ∈ S there exists y ∈ S satisfying and x2yx2 = x2. Denoting
x3 = yx2, then x2 = x2(yx2) = x2x3, and we observe that x1x2x3x1 = x1, i.e. in a regular
semigroup, from 2-regularity there follows 3-regularity of S2 in the one-relation definition
(i) (cf. for a single element Assertion 1). By analogy, in a regular semigroup, 2-regularity of
an element implies its n-regularity in the one-relation definition (i). Indeed, in this point
there is a difference between the definitions (i) and (ii).
Let us introduce higher analogs of the regular sequences (3.1) (see Definition 7).
Definition 9. A n-tuple X(n) = (x1, . . . , xn) ∈ S×n is called an (ordered) n-regular sequence of
inverses, if it satisfies the n relations
x1x2x3 . . . xnx1 = x1, (3.3)
x2x3 . . . xnx1x2 = x2, (3.4)
.
.
.
xnx1x2 . . . xn−1xn = xn, (3.5)
or in the manifest form of the binary multiplication µ2 (which is needed for the higher arity
generalization)
µ
[n]
2 [x1, x2, x3, . . . , xn, x1] = x1, (3.6)
µ
[n]
2 [x2, x3, . . . , xn, x1, x2] = x2, (3.7)
.
.
.
µ
[n]
2 [xn, x1, x2, . . . , xn−1, xn] = xn. (3.8)
Denote for each element xi ∈ S, i = 1, . . . , n, its n-inverse (n − 1)-tuple (see Definition
2) by xi ∈ S×(n−1), where
x1 = (x2, x3, . . . , xn−1, xn), (3.9)
x2 = (x3, x4 . . . , xn−1, xn, x1), (3.10)
.
.
.
xn = (x1, x2, . . . , xn−2, xn−1). (3.11)
Then the definition of an n-regular sequence of inverses (3.3)–(3.8) will take the concise
form (cf. (2.1) and (2.3))
xixixi = xi, (3.12)
µ
[n]
2 [xi, xi, xi] = xi, xi ∈ S, i = 1, . . . , n. (3.13)
Now by analogy with Definition 8 we have the following (multi-relation)

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Definition 10. A binary semigroup S2 is called a (cycled) n-regular semigroup, if each its element
belongs to a (not necessary unique) n-regular sequence of inverses X(n) ∈ S×n satisfying (3.3)–(
3.5).
This definition incorporates the ordinary regular semigroups (3.1) by putting n = 2.
Remark 1. The concept of n-regularity is strongly multi-relational, in that all relations in (3.3)–(
3.5) or (3.12) should hold, which leads us to consider all the elements in the sequence of inverses on
a par and cycled, analogously to the ordinary case (3.1). This can be expressed informally as “one
element of a n-regular semigroup has n − 1 inverses”.
Example 5. In the 3-regularity case we have three relations defining the regularity
x1x2x3x1 = x1, (3.14)
x2x3x1x2 = x2, (3.15)
x3x1x2x3 = x3. (3.16)
Now the sequence of inverses is X(3) = (x1, x2, x3), and we can say in a symmetrical
way: all of them are “mutually inverses one to another”, iff all three relations (3.14)–(3.15) hold
simultaneously. Also, using (3.9)–(3.11) we see that each element x1, x2, x3 has its 3-inverse 2-tuple
(or, informally, the pair of inverses)
x1 = (x2, x3), (3.17)
x2 = (x3, x1), (3.18)
x3 = (x1, x2). (3.19)
Remark 2. In what follows, we will use this 3-regularity example, when providing derivations and
proofs, for clarity and conciseness. This is worthwhile, because the general n-regularity case does
not differ from n = 3 in principle, and only forces us to consider cumbersome computations with
many indices and variables without enhancing our understanding of the structures.
Let us formulate the Thierrin theorem [25] in the n-regular setting, which connects
one-element regularity and multi-element regularity.
Lemma 1. Every n-regular element in a semigroup has its n-inverse tuple with n − 1 elements.
Proof. Let x1 be a 3-regular element x1 of a semigroup S2, then we can write
x1 = x1y2y3x1, x1, y2, y3 ∈ S. (3.20)
We are to find elements x2, x3 which satisfy (3.14)–(3.16). Put
x2 = y2y3x1y2, (3.21)
x3 = y3x1y2y3. (3.22)
Then for the l.h.s. of (3.14)–(3.16) we derive

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x1x2x3x1 = x1y2y3(x1y2y3x1)y2y3x1 = x1y2y3(x1y2y3x1)
= x1y2y3x1 = x1, (3.23)
x2x3x1x2 = y2(y3x1y2y3)(x1y2y3x1)y2y3(x1y2y3x1)y2
= y2x3(x1x2y3x1)y2 = y2x3x1y2 = x2, (3.24)
x3x1x2x3 = y3x1y2y3(x1y2y3x1)y2y3(x1y2y3x1)y2y3
= y3(x1y2y3x1)y2y3 = y3x1y2y3 = x3. (3.25)
Therefore, if we have any 3-regular element (3.20), the relations (3.14)-(3.19) hold.
We now show that in semigroups the higher n-regularity (in the multi-relation formu-
lation) is wider than for 2-regularity.
Lemma 2. If a semigroup S2 is n-regular, such that the n relations (3.12) are valid, then S2 is
2-regular as well.
Proof. In the case n = 3 we use (3.14)-(3.16) and denote x2x3 = y ∈ S. Then x1yx1 = x1,
and multiplying (3.15) and (3.16) by x3 from the right and x2 from the left, respectively, we
obtain
(x2x3x1x2)x3 = (x2)x3 =⇒ (x2x3)x1(x2x3) = (x2x3) =⇒ yx1y = y, (3.26)
x2(x3x1x2x3) = x2(x3) =⇒ (x2x3)x1(x2x3) = (x2x3) =⇒ yx1y = y. (3.27)
This means that x1 and y are mutually 2-inverse (or 2-regularly conjugated), and so S2 is
2-regular.
The converse requires some conditions on the semigroup.
Theorem 1. The following statements are equivalent for a regular (2-regular) semigroup S2:
1. The 2-regular semigroup S2 is n-regular.
2. The regular semigroup S2 is cancellative.
Proof. (i)⇒(ii) Suppose S2 is 2-regular, which means that there are tuples satisfying (3.1),
or in our notation here for each x1 ∈ S there exists y ∈ S such that x1yx1 = x1 and yx1y = y.
Let y be presented as a product of two elements y = x2x3, x2, x3 ∈ S, which is possible
since the underlying set S of the semigroup is closed with respect to multiplication. After
substitution y into the 2-regularity conditions, we obtain
x1yx1 = x1 =⇒ x1(x2x3)x1 = x1 =⇒ x1x2x3x1 = x1, (3.28)
yx1y = y =⇒ (x2x3)x1(x2x3) = (x2x3) =⇒ (x2x3x1x2)x3 = (x2)x3 (3.29)
=⇒ x2(x3x1x2x3) = x2(x3). (3.30)
We observe that the first line coincides with (3.14), but obtaining (3.15) and (3.16) from
the second and third lines here requires right and left cancellativity, respectively.
(ii)⇒(i) After applying cancellativity to (3.29) and (3.30), then equating expressions in
brackets one obtains (3.15) and (3.16), correspondingly. The first line (3.28) coincides with (
3.14) in any case.
It is known that a cancellative regular semigroup is a group [2,7].
Corollary 2. If a regular semigroup S2 is n-regular, it is a group.

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3.2. Idempotents and higher n-inverse semigroups
Lemma 3. In an n-regular semigroup there are at least n (binary higher) idempotents (no summa-
tion)
ei = xixi, i = 1, . . . , n. (3.31)
Proof. Multiply (3.12) by xi from the right to get xixixixi = xixi.
In the case n = 3 the (higher) idempotents (3.31) become
e1 = x1x2x3, e2 = x2x3x1, e3 = x3x1x2, (3.32)
having the following “chain” commutation relations with elements
e1x1 = x1e2 = x1, (3.33)
e2x2 = x2e3 = x2, (3.34)
e3x3 = x3e1 = x3. (3.35)
Corollary 3. Each higher idempotent ei is a left unit (neutral element) for xi and a right unit
(neutral element) for xi−1.
Lemma 4. If in an n-regular semigroup (higher) idempotents commute, then each element has a
unique n-regular sequence of inverses.
Proof. Suppose in a 3-regular semigroup defined by (3.14)–(3.16) the element x1 has two
pairs of inverses (3.9) x1 = (x2, x3) and x0
1 = (x0
2, x3). Then, in addition to (3.14)–(3.16) and
the triple of idempotents (3.32) we have
x1x0
2x3x1 = x1, (3.36)
x0
2x3x1x0
2 = x0
2, (3.37)
x3x1x0
2x3 = x3. (3.38)
and
e0
1 = x1x0
2x3, e0
2 = x0
2x3x1, e0
3 = x3x1x0
2, (3.39)
and also the idempotents (3.32) and (3.39) commute. We derive
x2 = x2x3x1x2 = x2x3 x1x0
2x3x1

x1x2 = x2x3 x1x0
2x3 x1x0
2x3x1

x2
= x2x3x1x0
2 x3x1x0
2

(x3x1x2) = x2x3x1x0
2(x3x1x2) x3x1x0
2

= (x2x3x1) x0
2x3x1

x2x3x1x0
2 = x0
2x3x1

(x2x3x1)x2x3x1x0
2
= x0
2x3(x1x2x3x1)x2x3x1x0
2 = x0
2x3(x1x2x3x1)x0
2 = x0
2x3x1x0
2 = x0
2. (3.40)
A similar derivation can be done for x00
1 = (x2, x00
3 ) and other indices.
Definition 11. A higher n-regular semigroup is called a higher n-inverse semigroup, if each
element xi ∈ S has its unique n-inverse (n − 1)-tuple xi ∈ S×(n−1) (3.9)–(3.11).
Thus, as in the regular (multi-relation 2-regular) semigroups [26–28], we arrive at a
higher regular generalization of the characterization of the inverse semigroups by
Theorem 2. A higher n-regular semigroup is an inverse semigroup, if their idempotents commute.
Further properties of n-inverse semigroups will be studied elsewhere using the stan-
dard methods (see, e.g. [2,6,7,29]).

10 of 16
4. HIGHER n-INVERSE POLYADIC SEMIGROUPS
We now introduce a polyadic version of the higher n-regular and n-inverse semigroups
defined in the previous section. For this we will use the relations with the manifest form of
the binary multiplication to follow (ii)-(iii) of the arity invariance principle (see Definition
3).
4.1. Higher n-regular polyadic semigroups
First, define the polyadic version of the higher n-regular sequences (3.6)–(3.8) in the
framework of the arity invariance principle by substituting µ
[n]
2 7→ µ
[n]
k and then changing
sizes of tuples, and generalizing to higher n (2.10).
Definition 12. In a polyadic (k-ary) semigroup Sk = hS | µki (see Subsection 2.2) a n(k − 1)-
tuple X(n(k−1)) =

x1, . . . , xn(k−1)

∈ S×n(k−1) is called a polyadic n-regular sequence of in-
verses, if it satisfies the n(k − 1) relations
µ
[n]
k
h
x1, x2, x3, . . . , xn(k−1), x1
i
= x1, (4.1)
µ
[n]
k
h
x2, x3, . . . , xn(k−1), x1, x2
i
= x2, (4.2)
.
.
.
µ
[n]
k
h
xn(k−1), x1, x2, . . . , xn(k−1)−1, xn(k−1)
i
= xn(k−1). (4.3)
Definition 13. A polyadic semigroup Sk is called an n-regular semigroup, if each element belongs
to a (not necessary unique) n-regular sequence of inverses X(n(k−1)) ∈ S×n(k−1).
In a polyadic n-regular semigroup, each element instead of having one inverse (regular
conjugated) element will have a tuple, and we now, instead of (2.1)–(2.2), have
Definition 14. In a polyadic (k-ary) n-regular semigroup each element xi ∈ S, where i =
1, . . . , n(k − 1), has a polyadic n-inverse, as the (n(k − 1) − 1)-tuple x
[k]
i ∈ S×(n(k−1)−1) (cf.
the binary case Definition 2 and (3.9)–(3.11))
x
[k]
1 =

x2, x3, . . . , xn(k−1)−1, xn(k−1)

, (4.4)
x
[k]
2 =

x3, x4 . . . , xn(k−1)−1, xn(k−1), x1

, (4.5)
.
.
.
x
[k]
n(k−1)
=

x1, x2, . . . , xn(k−1)−2, xn(k−1)−1

. (4.6)
In this notation the polyadic (k-ary) n-regular sequence of inverses (4.1)–(4.3) can be
written in the customary concise form (see (3.13) for a binary semigroup)
µ
[n]
k
h
xi, x
[k]
i , xi
i
= xi, xi ∈ S, i = 1, . . . , n(k − 1). (4.7)
Note that at first sight one could consider here also the procedure of reducing the
number of multiplications from any number to one [17], as in the single element regularity
case (see Assertion 2 and Example 2, 4). However, if we consider the whole polyadic
n-regular sequence of inverses (4.1)–(4.3) consisting of n(k − 1) relations (4.1)–(4.3), it will
be not possible in general to reduce arity in all of them simultaneously.

11 of 16
Example 6. If we consider the ordinary regularity (2-regularity) for a ternary semigroup S3, we
obtain the ternary regular sequence of n(k − 1) = 4 elements and four regularity relations
µ
[2]
3 [x1, x2, x3, x4, x1] = x1, (4.8)
µ
[2]
3 [x2, x3, x4, x1, x2] = x2, (4.9)
µ
[2]
3 [x3, x4, x1, x2, x3] = x3, (4.10)
µ
[2]
3 [x4, x1, x2, x3, x4] = x4, xi ∈ S. (4.11)
Elements x1, x2, x3, x4 have these ternary inverses (cf. the binary 3-regularity (3.17)–(3.19))
x
[3]
1 = (x2, x3, x4), (4.12)
x
[3]
2 = (x3, x4, x1), (4.13)
x
[3]
3 = (x4, x1, x2), (4.14)
x
[3]
4 = (x1, x2, x3). (4.15)
Remark 3. This definition of regularity in ternary semigroups is in full agreement with the arity
invariance principle (Definition 3): it has (the minimum) two (k-ary) multiplications as in the
binary case (2.2). Although we can reduce the number of multiplications to one, as in (2.12) for
a single relation, e.g. by the substitution z = µ3[x2, x3, x4], this cannot be done in all the cycled
relations (4.8)–(4.11): the third relations (4.10) cannot be presented in terms of z as well as the right
hand sides.
Remark 4. If we take the definition of regularity for a single relation, reduce it to one (k-ary) multi-
plication and then “artificially” cycle it (see [17] and references citing it), we find a conflict with the
arity invariance principle. Indeed, in the ternary case we obtain µ3[x, y, x] = x, µ3[y, x, y] = y.
Despite the similarity to the standard binary regularity (3.1)-(3.2), it contains only one multipli-
cation, and therefore it could be better treated as a symmetry property of the ternary product µ3,
rather than as a relation between variables, e.g., as a regularity which needs at least two products.
Also, the length of the sequence is two, as in the binary case, but it should be n(k − 1) = 4, as in
the ternary 2-regular sequence (4.8)–(4.11) according to the arity invariance principle.
Example 7. For a 3-regular ternary semigroup S3 = hS | µ3i with n = 3 and k = 3 we have a
3-regular sequence of 6 (mutual) inverses X(6) = (x1, x2, x3, x4, x5, x6) ∈ S×6, which satisfy the
following six 3-regularity conditions
µ
[3]
3 [x1, x2, x3, x4, x5, x6, x1] = x1, (4.16)
µ
[3]
3 [x2, x3, x4, x5, x6, x1, x2] = x2, (4.17)
µ
[3]
3 [x3, x4, x5, x6, x1, x2, x3] = x3, (4.18)
µ
[3]
3 [x4, x5, x6, x1, x2, x3, x4] = x4, (4.19)
µ
[3]
3 [x5, x6, x1, x2, x3, x4, x5] = x5, (4.20)
µ
[3]
3 [x6, x1, x2, x3, x4, x5, x6] = x6, xi ∈ S. (4.21)
This is the first nontrivial case in both arity k 6= 2 and regularity n 6= 2 (see Remark 2).
Remark 5. In this example we can reduce the number of multiplications, as in Example 4, to
one single relation, but not to all of them. For instance, we can put in the first relations (4.16)
t = µ3[x2, x3, x4] and further z = µ3[t, x5, x6], but, for instance, the third relation (4.18) cannot
be presented in terms of t, z, as in the first one in (4.16)–(4.21), because of the splitting of variables
in t, z, as well as in the right hand sides.

12 of 16
The polyadic analog of the Thierrin theorem [25] in n-regular setting is given by:
Lemma 5. Every n-regular element in a polyadic (k-ary) semigroup has a polyadic n-inverse tuple
with (n(k − 1) − 1) elements.
Its proof literally repeats that of Lemma 1, but with different lengths of sequences.
The same is true for the Lemma 2 and Theorem 1 by exchanging S2 → Sk.
Definition 15. A higher n-regular polyadic semigroup Sk is called a higher n-inverse polyadic
semigroup, if each element xi ∈ S has a unique n-inverse (n(k − 1) − 1)-tuple xi ∈ S×(n(k−1)−1)
(4.4)–(4.6).
In searching for polyadic idempotents we observe that the binary regularity (3.13) and
polyadic regularity (4.7) differ considerably in lengths of tuples. In the binary case any
length is allowed, and one can define idempotents ei by (3.31), as a left neutral element
for xi, such that (no summation) eixi = xi , xi ∈ S2 (see (3.33)–(3.35)). At first sight, for
polyadic n-regularity (4.7), we could proceed in a similar way. However we have
Proposition 1. In the n-regular polyadic (k-ary) semigroup the length of the tuple (xi, xi) is
allowed to give an idempotent, only if k = 2, i.e. the semigroup is binary.
Proof. The allowed length of the tuple (xi, xi) (to give one element, an idempotent, see (
2.5)), where xi are in (4.4)–(4.6), is `(k − 1) + 1. While the tuple (xi, xi, xi) in (4.7) has the
given length n(k − 1) + 1, and we obtain the equation for ` as
`(k − 1) + 1 = n(k − 1) =⇒ ` = n −
1
k − 1
(4.22)
The equation (4.22) has only one solution over N namely ` = n − 1, iff k = 2.
This means that to go beyond the binary semigroups k 2 and have idempotents,
one needs to introduce a different regularity condition to (2.10) and (4.7), which we will do
below.
4.2. Idempotents and sandwich polyadic regularity
Here we go in the opposite direction to that above: we will define the idempotents
and then construct the needed regularity conditions using them, which in the limit k = 2
and n = 2 will give the ordinary binary regularity (3.1)–(3.2).
Let us formulate the binary higher n-regularity (3.13) in terms of the local polyadic
identities (2.9). We write the idempotents (3.31) in the form
ei = µ2[xi, xi], (4.23)
where xi are n-inverses being (n − 1)-tuples (3.9)–(3.11).
In terms of the idempotents ei (4.23) the higher n-regularity conditions (3.13) become
µ2[ei, xi] = xi. (4.24)
Assertion 3. The binary n-regularity conditions coincide with the definition of the local left
identities.
Proof. Compare (4.24) and the definition (2.9) with k = 2 (see [21]).
Thus, the main idea is to generalize (using the arity invariance principle) to the
polyadic case the binary n-regularity in the form (4.24) and also idempotents (4.23), but not
(3.12)–(3.13), as it was done in (4.7).
By analogy with (4.23) let us introduce

13 of 16
e0
i = µk


xi,
n−1
z }| {
x0
i, . . . , x0
i


, xi ∈ S, i = 1, . . . , k, (4.25)
where x0
i is the polyadic (k − 1)-tuple for xi (which differs from (4.4)–(4.6))
x0
1 = (x2, x3, . . . , xk), (4.26)
x0
2 = (x3, x4, . . . , xk, x1), (4.27)
.
.
.
x0
k = (x1, x2, . . . , xk−2, xk−1). (4.28)
Definition 16. Sandwich polyadic n-regularity conditions are defined as
µk



k−1
z }| {
e0
i . . . e0
i, xi


 = xi. (4.29)
It follows form (4.29), that e0
i are polyadic idempotents (see (2.8) and (2.9)). It is seen
that in the limit k = 2 and n = 2 (4.25)–(4.29) give the ordinary regularity (3.1).
Now, by analogy with the binary case Assertion 3, we have
Assertion 4. The sandwich polyadic n-regularity conditions (4.29) coincide with the definition of
the local left polyadic identities.
Proof. Compare (4.29) and the definition (2.9).
By analogy with Definition 13 we have
Definition 17. A k-ary semigroup Sk is called a sandwich polyadic n-regular semigroup, if each
element has a (not necessary unique) k-tuple of inverses satisfying (4.25)–(4.29), or an element
xi ∈ S has its local left polyadic identity e0
i (4.25).
Now instead of (4.4)–(4.6) we have for the inverses
Definition 18. Each element of a sandwich polyadic (k-ary) n-regular semigroup xi ∈ S, i =
1, . . . , k − 1 has its (sandwich) polyadic k-inverse, as the (k − 1)-tuple x
0[k]
i ∈ S×(k−1) (see (4.26)–(
4.28)).
Example 8. In the ternary case k = 3 and n = 2 we have the following 3 ternary idempotents
e0
1 = µ3[x1, x2, x3], (4.30)
e0
2 = µ3[x2, x3, x1], (4.31)
e0
3 = µ3[x3, x1, x2], xi ∈ S, (4.32)
such that
µ3

e0
i, e0
i, e0
i

= e0
i, i = 1, 2, 3. (4.33)
The sandwich ternary regularity conditions become (cf. (4.8)–(4.11))
µ
[3]
3 [x1, x2, x3, x1, x2, x3, x1] = x1, (4.34)
µ
[3]
3 [x2, x3, x1, x2, x3, x1, x2] = x2, (4.35)
µ
[3]
3 [x3, x1, x2, x3, x1, x2, x3] = x3. (4.36)

14 of 16
It can be seen from (4.34)–(4.36) why we call such regularity “sandwich”: each xi appears in
the l.h.s. not only 2 times, on the first and the last places, as in the previous definitions, but also in
the middle, which gives the possibility for us to define idempotents. In general, the ith condition of
sandwich regularity (4.29) will contain k − 2 middle elements xi.
Each of the elements x1, x2, x3 ∈ S has a 2-tuple of the ternary inverses (cf. the inverses for
the binary 3-regularity (3.17)–(3.19) and the ternary regularity (4.12)–(4.15)) as
x0
1 = (x2, x3), (4.37)
x0
2 = (x3, x1), (4.38)
x0
3 = (x1, x2). (4.39)
Remark 6. In (4.34) we can also reduce the number of multiplications to one (see [17]), but only
in a single relation (see Example 4 and Remark 5). However, in this case the whole system (4.34)–(
4.36) will lose its self-consistency, since we are using the multi-relation definition of the sandwich
regular semigroup (see (3.1) for the ordinary regularity).
Example 9. The non-trivial case in both higher arity k 6= 2 and higher sandwich regularity n 6= 2
is the sandwich 3-regular 4-ary semigroup S4 in which there exist 4 elements satisfying the higher
sandwich 3-regularity relations
µ
[4]
4 [x1, x2, x3, x4, x1, x2, x3, x4, x1, x2, x3, x4, x1] = x1, (4.40)
µ
[4]
4 [x2, x3, x4, x1, x2, x3, x4, x1, x2, x3, x4, x1, x2] = x2, (4.41)
µ
[4]
4 [x3, x4, x1, x2, x3, x4, x1, x2, x3, x4, x1, x2, x3] = x3, (4.42)
µ
[4]
4 [x4, x1, x2, x3, x4, x1, x2, x3, x4, x1, x2, x3, x4] = x4, xi ∈ S. (4.43)
The 4-ary idempotents are
e0
1 = µ4[x1, x2, x3, x4], (4.44)
e0
2 = µ4[x2, x3, x4, x1],
e0
3 = µ4[x3, x4, x1, x2], (4.45)
e0
3 = µ4[x4, x1, x2, x3], (4.46)
and they obey the following commutation relations with elements (cf. (3.33)–(3.35))
µ4

e0
1, e0
1, e0
1, x1

= µ4

x1, e0
2, e0
2, e0
2

= x1, (4.47)
µ4

e0
2, e0
2, e0
2, x2

= µ4

x2, e0
3, e0
3, e0
3

= x2, (4.48)
µ4

e0
3, e0
3, e0
3, x3

= µ4

x3, e0
4, e0
4, e0
4

= x3, (4.49)
µ4

e0
4, e0
4, e0
4, x4

= µ4

x4, e0
1, e0
1, e0
1

= x4. (4.50)
Each of the elements x1, x2, x3, x4 has its triple of 4-ary inverses
x0
1 = (x2, x3, x4), (4.51)
x0
2 = (x3, x4, x1), (4.52)
x0
3 = (x4, x1, x2), (4.53)
x0
4 = (x1, x2, x3). (4.54)
By analogy with Corollary 3 we now have
Corollary 4. Each polyadic idempotent e0
i of the sandwich higher n-regular k-ary semigroup Sk is
a local left polyadic identity (neutral element) for xi and a local right polyadic identity for xi−1.

15 of 16
Definition 19. A sandwich higher n-regular polyadic semigroup Sk is called a sandwich n-inverse
polyadic semigroup, if each element xi ∈ S has a unique n-inverse (k − 1)-tuple x0
i ∈ S×(k−1) (
4.26)–(4.28).
In search of a polyadic analog of the Lemma 4, we have found that the commutation
of polyadic idempotents does not lead to uniqueness of the n-inverse elements (4.26)–(
4.28). The problem appears because of the presence of the middle elements in (4.25) and,
e.g., in (4.34) (see the discussion after (4.36)), while the middle elements do not exist in the
previous formulations of regularity.
Acknowledgement. The author is deeply grateful to Vladimir Akulov, Mike He-
witt, Mikhail Krivoruchenko, Thomas Nordahl, Vladimir Tkach and Raimund Vogl for
numerous fruitful and useful discussions, valuable help and support.
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