On the number of countable subdirect powers of finite commutative semigroups

Abstract

In 1981/82, Hickin \& Plotkin and McKenzie both proved that a finite group has only countably many non-isomorphic subdirect powers if and only if it is abelian. In this paper, we prove that a finite commutative semigroup has only countably many non-isomorphic countable subdirect powers if and only if it is either a finite abelian group or a null semigroup.

12 pages