semigroup

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noun

Any set for which there is a binary operation that is closed and associative.

UncommonScrabble 14

Meanings

nounsemigroup (plural semigroups)

plural semigroups

  1. mathematicsAny set for which there is a binary operation that is closed and associative.

    If one considers the variety of semigroups, one has the binary operation of multiplication defined on every semigroup.

    2012, Jorge Almeida, Benjamin Steinberg, “Syntactic and Global Subgroup Theory: A Synthesis Approach”, in Jean-Camille Birget, Stuart Margolis, John Meakin, Mark V. Sapir, editors, Algorithmic Problems in Groups and Semigroups, page 5
    2 more examples

    If a semigroup S contains a zeroid, then every left zeroid is also a right zeroid, and vice versa, and the set K of all the zeroids of S is the kernel of S.

    1961, Alfred Hoblitzelle Clifford, G. B. Preston, The Algebraic Theory of Semigroups, page 70

    1988, A. Ya Aǐzenshtat, Boris M. Schein (translator), On Ideals of Semigroups of Endomorphisms, Ben Silver (editor), Nineteen Papers on Algebraic Semigroups, American Mathematical Society Translations, Series 2, Volume 139, page 11, It follows naturally that various classes of ordered sets can be characterized by semigroup properties of endomorphism semigroups.

Origin

From semi- + group, reflecting the fact that not all the conditions required for a group are required for a semigroup. (Specifically, the requirements for the existence of identity and inverse elements are omitted.)

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 半群
  • 半群 (bàn qún)set for which a closed associative binary operation is defined
Czech pologrupa
  • pologrupaset for which a closed associative binary operation is defined
Finnish puoliryhmä
  • puoliryhmäset for which a closed associative binary operation is defined
German Halbgruppe
  • Halbgruppeset for which a closed associative binary operation is defined
Icelandic hálfgrúpa
  • hálfgrúpaset for which a closed associative binary operation is defined
Italian semigruppo
  • semigrupposet for which a closed associative binary operation is defined
Polish półgrupa
  • półgrupaset for which a closed associative binary operation is defined
Portuguese semigrupo
  • semigruposet for which a closed associative binary operation is defined
Romanian semigrup
  • semigrupset for which a closed associative binary operation is defined
Slovak pologrupa
  • pologrupaset for which a closed associative binary operation is defined
Swedish semigrupp
  • semigruppset for which a closed associative binary operation is defined
Cite this entry
APA

semigroup. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/semigroup

MLA

“semigroup.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/semigroup. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “semigroup,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/semigroup.

Source: semigroup on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.