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Questions tagged [magma]

A magma is a set together with a binary operation on this set. (For questions about the computer algebra system named Magma, use the [magma-cas] tag instead.)

62 votes
7 answers
20k views

Is there an easy way to see associativity or non-associativity from an operation's table?

Most properties of a single binary operation can be easily read of from the operation's table. For example, given $$\begin{array}{c|ccccc} \cdot & a & b & c & d & e\\\hline a &...
celtschk's user avatar
  • 43.7k
30 votes
5 answers
12k views

A finite, cancellative semigroup is a group

Let $G$ be a finite, nonempty set with an operation $*$ such that $G$ is closed under $*$ and $*$ is associative Given $a,b,c \in G$ with $a*b=a*c$, then $b=c$. Given $a,b,c \in G$ with $b*a=c*a$, ...
user avatar
13 votes
6 answers
2k views

Associativity test for a magma

Say I have the operation table for a magma. I want to know whether or not the operation is associative. However, associativity is defined for an operation on 3 elements, and the operation table deals ...
Matthew Matic's user avatar
55 votes
9 answers
11k views

Can you give me some concrete examples of magmas?

I've seen the following (e.g. here): I've learned a bit about groups and I could give examples of groups, but when reading the given table, I couldn't imagine of what a magma would be. It has no ...
Red Banana's user avatar
  • 24.2k
6 votes
3 answers
621 views

Is there a name for an element $z$ such that $\,zx = z = xz\,$ for all $x$?

Is there a general name for the following properties, (similar to the properties of existence of an additive identity, existence of multiplicative identity etc): For any given set, the intersection ...
user avatar
6 votes
5 answers
3k views

Inverse elements in the absence of identities/associativity.

Lets view groups as consisting of a binary operation, a distinguished element $e$, and unary operation $x \mapsto x^{-1}$. Then the group axioms can be stated as follows. $(xy)z=x(yz).$ $xe=ex=x.$ $...
goblin GONE's user avatar
  • 68.1k
5 votes
3 answers
197 views

Finite magmas representing all unary functions by terms

Say that a magma $\mathcal{M}=(M;*)$ is unary-rich iff for every function $f:M\rightarrow M$ there is a (one-variable, parameter-free) term $t_f$ such that $t_f^\mathcal{M}=f$. For example: The one-...
Noah Schweber's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
165 views

Are epimorphisms in the category of magmas surjective?

The question says it all, but let me recall the definitions. A magma $(X, \cdot)$ is a set $X$ with a binary operation $\cdot \colon X \times X \to X$ (without any further assumptions like ...
Jochen's user avatar
  • 12.3k
4 votes
1 answer
387 views

Elegant approach to coproducts of monoids and magmas - does everything work without units?

From this answer by Martin Brandenburg I learned an elegant way of constructing and describing elements of coproducts of monoids. There he writes this construction shows the existence of colimits in ...
Arrow's user avatar
  • 14k
11 votes
2 answers
1k views

Is there a term for a magma with identity (only)?

If we start from magmas and consider: associativity, identity, invertibility (divisibility). We will theoretically get $2^3=8$ structures by regarding whether such structure possess these properties. ...
Upc's user avatar
  • 1,213
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

Efficient algorithm for calculating the tetration of two numbers mod n?

I'm trying to study the algebraic properties of the magma created by defining the binary operation $x*y$ to be: $ x*y = (x \uparrow y) \bmod n $ where $ \uparrow $ is the symbol for tetration. ...
Nathan BeDell's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
731 views

Is there a term for an algebraic structure with two binary operators that are closed under a set?

For example, let's say we're using the operators +, and *, and the set {0,1,2} The Cayley tables look like this: ...
Nathan BeDell's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
220 views

The ratio of finitely based magmas to all magmas

Let $n$ be a positive integer. By $S_n$, I denote the set of positive integers from $1$ to $n$. By $F_n$, I denote the cardinality of the set of magmas on $S_n$ which are finitely based, that is, ...
user107952's user avatar
  • 21.5k
5 votes
1 answer
87 views

Rings with primal term reducts

This question is a follow-up to this one. Say that a term reduct of a ring $\mathcal{R}=(R; +,\times,0,1)$ is a magma $\mathcal{M}$ whose domain is $R$ and whose magma operation is $(x,y)\mapsto t(x,y)...
Noah Schweber's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
185 views

Existence of an operation $\cdot$ such that $(a*(b*c))=(a\cdot b)*c$

When we can define a binary operation $\cdot:M\times M\rightarrow M$ on an algebraic structure $(M,*)$ such that $$a*(b*c)=(a\cdot b)*c$$ If $*$ is associative then $\cdot=*$ even if I'm not sure ...
MphLee's user avatar
  • 2,512

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