This book presents further developments and applications in the area of completely regular semigroup theory, beginning with applications of Polák’s theorem to obtain detailed descriptions of various kernel classes including the K-class covers of the kernel class of all bands. The important property of modularity of the lattice of varieties of completely regular semigroups is then employed to analyse various principal sublattices. This is followed by a study of certain important complete congruences on the lattice; the group, local and core relations. The next chapter is devoted to a further treatment of certain free objects and related word problems. There are many constructions in the theory of semigroups. Those that have played an important role in the theory of varieties of completely regular semigroups are presented as they apply in this context. The mapping that takes each variety to its intersection with the variety of bands is a complete retraction of the lattice of varieties of completely regular semigroups onto the lattice of band varieties and so induces a complete congruence for which every class has a greatest member. The sublattice generated by these greatest members is then investigated with the help of many applications of Polák’s theorem. The book closes with a fascinating conjecture regarding the structure of this sublattice.

Present a systematic treatment of completely regular semigroups, from introductory to research level, comprised of preliminaries on lattices, semigroups, varieties, and complete regularity; congruences and relations on the congruence lattice; and varieties of completely regular semigroups through kernals, and traces of congruences and Malcev products.

This volume contains papers which, for the most part, are based on talks given at an international conference on Lattices, Semigroups, and Universal Algebra that was held in Lisbon, Portugal during the week of June 20-24, 1988. The conference was dedicated to the memory of Professor Antonio Almeida Costa, a Portuguese mathematician who greatly contributed to the development of th algebra in Portugal, on the 10 anniversary of his death. The themes of the conference reflect some of his research interests and those of his students. The purpose of the conference was to gather leading experts in Lattices, Semigroups, and Universal Algebra and to promote a discussion of recent developments and trends in these areas. All three fields have grown rapidly during the last few decades with varying degrees of interaction. Lattice theory and Universal Algebra have historically evolved alongside with a large overlap between the groups of researchers in the two fields. More recently, techniques and ideas of these theories have been used extensively in the theory of semigroups. Conversely, some developments in that area may inspire further developments in Universal Algebra. On the other hand, techniques of semi group theory have naturally been employed in the study of semilattices. Several papers in this volume elaborate on these interactions.

Most papers published in this volume are based on lectures presented at the Chico Conference on Semigroups held on the Chico campus of the Cal ifornia State University on April 10-12, 1986. The conference was spon sored by the California State University, Chico in cooperation with the Engineering Computer Sciences Department of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. The program included seven 50-minute addresses and seventeen 30-minute lectures. Speakers were invited by the organizing committee consisting of S. M. Goberstein and P. M. Higgins. The purpose of the conference was to bring together some of the leading researchers in the area of semigroup theory for a discussion of major recent developments in the field. The algebraic theory of semigroups is growing so rapidly and new important results are being produced at such a rate that the need for another meeting was well justified. It was hoped that the conference would help to disseminate new results more rapidly among those working in semi groups and related areas and that the exchange of ideas would stimulate research in the subject even further. These hopes were realized beyond all expectations.

The conference was a rare occasion for different schools and perspectives to meet in a single event, bringing together researchers interested in semigroups, automata and languages. The proceedings contain both surveys and research reports, which have been carefully refereed. They should be of value to both mathematicians and computer scientists.

The research results published in this set of proceedings range from pure semigroup theory to theoretical computer science, in particular formal languages and automata. Contributed by internationally recognized researchers, the papers address issues in the algebraic and combinatorial theories of semigroups, the structure theory of automata, the classification theory of formal languages and codes and applications of these theories to various areas like circuit testing, coding theory, or cryptography. The underlying theme is the semigroup and automaton theories and their role in certain applications.