Section 14.1 Monoids
Recall that in Section 11.2 we introduced systems called monoids. Here is the formal definition.
Note 14.1.2.
Since the requirements for a group contain the requirements for a monoid, every group is a monoid.
Example 14.1.3. Some Monoids.
- The power set of any set together with any one of the operations intersection, union, or symmetric difference is a monoid.
- The set of integers,
with multiplication, is a monoid. With addition, is also a monoid. - The set of
matrices over the integers, with matrix multiplication, is a monoid. This follows from the fact that matrix multiplication is associative and has an identity, This is an example of a noncommutative monoid since there are matrices, and for which is a monoid with identity 1.-
Let
be a nonempty set. The set of all functions from into often denoted is a monoid over function composition. In Chapter 7, we saw that function composition is associative. The function defined by is the identity element for this system. If is greater than 1 then it is a noncommutative monoid. If is finite, . For example, if The functions defined by the graphs in Figure 14.1.4, are the elements of . This monoid is not a group. Do you know why?One reason why is noncommutative is that because while

The functions on
Virtually all of the group concepts that were discussed in Chapter 11 are applicable to monoids. When we introduced subsystems, we saw that a submonoid of monoid is a subset of that is, it is a monoid with the operation of To prove that a subset is a submonoid, you can apply the following theorem.
Theorem 14.1.5. Submonoid Test.
Often we will want to discuss the smallest submonoid that includes a certain subset of a monoid This submonoid can be defined recursively by the following definition.
Definition 14.1.6. Submonoid Generated by a Set.
Note 14.1.7.
Example 14.1.8. Some Submonoids.
- One example of a submonoid of
is - The power set of
over union is a monoid with identity If then is the power set of If then is the set of finite subsets of the integers.
As you might expect, two monoids are isomorphic if and only if there exists a translation rule between them so that any true proposition in one monoid is translated to a true proposition in the other.
Example 14.1.9.
Two cases of how this translation rule works are:
A more precise definition of a monoid isomorphism is identical to the definition of a group isomorphism, Definition 11.7.9.
Exercises Exercises
1.
For each of the subsets of the indicated monoid, determine whether the subset is a submonoid.
and in and in the monoid in
Answer.
is not a submonoid since the identity of which is 1, is not in is a submonoid since and is closed under multiplication; that is, for all is in- The identity of
is the identity function defined by If thus the identity of is in However, the image of 1 under any function in is 2, and thus the identity of is not in so is not a submonoid. The composition of any two functions in and will be a function inand the two conditions of a submonoid are satisfied and is a submonoid of - The first set is a submonoid, but the second is not since the null set has a non-finite complement.
2.
3.
An matrix of real numbers is called stochastic if and only if each entry is nonnegative and the sum of entries in each column is 1. Prove that the set of stochastic matrices is a monoid over matrix multiplication.
Answer.
The set of real matrices is a monoid under matrix multiplication. This follows from the laws of matrix algebra in Chapter 5. To prove that the set of stochastic matrices is a monoid over matrix multiplication, we need only show that the identity matrix is stochastic (this is obvious) and that the set of stochastic matrices is closed under matrix multiplication. Let and be stochastic matrices.
The sum of the column is
4.
A semigroup is an algebraic system with the only axiom that be associative on Prove that if is a finite set, then there must exist an idempotent element, that is, an such that
5.
Let be a Boolean algebra and the set of all Boolean functions on Let be defined on by Prove that is a monoid. Construct the operation table of for the case of
Answer.
Let and
Therefore and is associative.
The identity for is the function where = the “one” of If Therefore Similarly,
There are functions in for These four functions are named in the text. See Figure 14.1.4. The table for is
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