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Monounary Algebras
Abbreviation: MonoUn
Definition
A \emph{monounary algebra} is a structure A=⟨A,f⟩ of type ⟨1⟩ such that f is a unary operation on A.
Morphisms
Let A and B be monounary algebras. A morphism from A to B is a function h:A→B that is a homomorphism: h(f(x))=f(h(x)).
Examples
Example 1: The free unary algebra on one generator is isomorphic to the natural numbers N. The number 0 is the generator x, and the operation f is the successor function, i.e., f(n)=n+1.
The free unary algebra on X generators is a union of |X| disjoint copies of the one-generated free algebra.
Basic results
Monounary algebras are equivalent to directed graphs in which every vertex has exactly one outgoing edge.
One-generated monounary algebras are either isomorphic to the free one-generated algebra or they are finite and contain a path of length l from the generator to a cycle of length k (where l≥0 and k≥1).
Properties
Finite members
Subclasses
Idempotent monounary algebras subvariety
The variety of monounary algebras has countably many subvarieties, each determined by an equation of the form fm(x)=fn(x).
Let j>k≥0 and m>n≥0. Then Mod(fj(x)=fk(x)⊆Mod(fm(x)=fn(x) if and only if k≤n and (j−k)|(m−n).
Hence the lattice of nontrivial subvarieties of monounary algebras is isomorphic to (N,≤)×(N,|), which is itself isomorphic to the lattice of divisibility of the natural numbers. The variety Mod(x=y) of trivial subvarieties is the unique element below the variety Mod(f(x)=x) (which is term-equivalent to the variety of sets).
Superclasses
Duo-unary algebras subreduct