Generating self-map monoids of infinite sets
arXiv:math/0701198 · doi:10.1007/s00233-007-0731-9
Abstract
Let I be a countably infinite set, S = Sym(I) the group of permutations of I, and E = End(I) the monoid of self-maps of I. Given two subgroups G, G' of S, let us write G \approx_S G' if there exists a finite subset U of S such that the groups generated by G \cup U and G' \cup U are equal. Bergman and Shelah showed that the subgroups which are closed in the function topology on S fall into exactly four equivalence classes with respect to \approx_S. Letting \approx denote the obvious analog of \approx_S for submonoids of E, we prove an analogous result for a certain class of submonoids of E, from which the theorem for groups can be recovered. Along the way, we show that given two subgroups G, G' of S which are closed in the function topology on S, we have G \approx_S G' if and only if G \approx G' (as submonoids of E), and that cl_S (G) \approx cl_E (G) for every subgroup G of S (where cl_S (G) denotes the closure of G in the function topology in S and cl_E (G) its closure in the function topology in E).
26 pages. In the second version several of the arguments have been simplified, references to related literature have been added, and a few minor errors have been corrected