On the decidability of semigroup freeness

This paper deals with the decidability of semigroup freeness. More precisely, the freeness problem over a semigroup S is defined as: given a finite subset X of S, decide whether each element of S has at most one factorization over X. To date, the decidabilities of two freeness problems have been closely examined. In 1953, Sardinas and Patterson proposed a now famous algorithm for the freeness problem over the free monoid. In 1991, Klarner, Birget and Satterfield proved the undecidability of the freeness problem over three-by-three integer matrices. Both results led to the publication of many subsequent papers. The aim of the present paper is three-fold: (i) to present general results concerning freeness problems, (ii) to study the decidability of freeness problems over various particular semigroups (special attention is devoted to multiplicative matrix semigroups), and (iii) to propose precise, challenging open questions in order to promote the study of the topic.Comment: 46 pages. 1 table. To appear in RAIR

The finiteness of a group generated by a 2-letter invertible-reversible Mealy automaton is decidable

We prove that a semigroup generated by a reversible two-state Mealy automaton is either finite or free of rank 2. This fact leads to the decidability of finiteness for groups generated by two-state or two-letter invertible-reversible Mealy automata and to the decidability of freeness for semigroups generated by two-state invertible-reversible Mealy automata

Vector Reachability Problem in SL(2,Z)\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{Z})

The decision problems on matrices were intensively studied for many decades as matrix products play an essential role in the representation of various computational processes. However, many computational problems for matrix semigroups are inherently difficult to solve even for problems in low dimensions and most matrix semigroup problems become undecidable in general starting from dimension three or four. This paper solves two open problems about the decidability of the vector reachability problem over a finitely generated semigroup of matrices from $\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{Z})$ and the point to point reachability (over rational numbers) for fractional linear transformations, where associated matrices are from $\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{Z})$. The approach to solving reachability problems is based on the characterization of reachability paths between points which is followed by the translation of numerical problems on matrices into computational and combinatorial problems on words and formal languages. We also give a geometric interpretation of reachability paths and extend the decidability results to matrix products represented by arbitrary labelled directed graphs. Finally, we will use this technique to prove that a special case of the scalar reachability problem is decidable

Matrix Semigroup Freeness Problems in SL(2, Z)

In this paper we study decidability and complexity of decision problems on matrices from the special linear group SL(2,Z). In particular, we study the freeness problem: given a finite set of matrices G generating a multiplicative semigroup S, decide whether each element of S has at most one factorization over G. In other words, is G a code? We show that the problem of deciding whether a matrix semigroup in SL(2,Z) is non-free is NP-hard. Then, we study questions about the number of factorizations of matrices in the matrix semigroup such as the finite freeness problem, the recurrent matrix problem, the unique factorizability problem, etc. Finally, we show that some factorization problems could be even harder in SL(2,Z), for example we show that to decide whether every prime matrix has at most k factorizations is PSPACE-hard

Matrix Semigroup Freeness Problems in SL(2,Z)\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{Z})

In this paper we study decidability and complexity of decision problems on matrices from the special linear group $\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{Z})$. In particular, we study the freeness problem: given a finite set of matrices $G$ generating a multiplicative semigroup $S$, decide whether each element of $S$ has at most one factorization over $G$. In other words, is $G$ a code? We show that the problem of deciding whether a matrix semigroup in $\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{Z})$ is non-free is NP-hard. Then, we study questions about the number of factorizations of matrices in the matrix semigroup such as the finite freeness problem, the recurrent matrix problem, the unique factorizability problem, etc. Finally, we show that some factorization problems could be even harder in $\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{Z})$, for example we show that to decide whether every prime matrix has at most $k$ factorizations is PSPACE-hard

Automaton Semigroups and Groups: On the Undecidability of Problems Related to Freeness and Finiteness

In this paper, we study algorithmic problems for automaton semigroups and automaton groups related to freeness and finiteness. In the course of this study, we also exhibit some connections between the algebraic structure of automaton (semi)groups and their dynamics on the boundary. First, we show that it is undecidable to check whether the group generated by a given invertible automaton has a positive relation, i.e. a relation p = 1 such that p only contains positive generators. Besides its obvious relation to the freeness of the group, the absence of positive relations has previously been studied and is connected to the triviality of some stabilizers of the boundary. We show that the emptiness of the set of positive relations is equivalent to the dynamical property that all (directed positive) orbital graphs centered at non-singular points are acyclic. Gillibert showed that the finiteness problem for automaton semigroups is undecidable. In the second part of the paper, we show that this undecidability result also holds if the input is restricted to be bi-reversible and invertible (but, in general, not complete). As an immediate consequence, we obtain that the finiteness problem for automaton subsemigroups of semigroups generated by invertible, yet partial automata, so called automaton-inverse semigroups, is also undecidable. Erratum: Contrary to a statement in a previous version of the paper, our approach does not show that that the freeness problem for automaton semigroups is undecidable. We discuss this in an erratum at the end of the paper

Vector Ambiguity and Freeness Problems in SL (2, ℤ).

We study the vector ambiguity problem and the vector freeness problem in SL(2,Z). Given a finitely generated n×n matrix semigroup S and an n-dimensional vector x, the vector ambiguity problem is to decide whether for every target vector y=Mx, where M∈S, M is unique. We also consider the vector freeness problem which is to show that every matrix M which is transforming x to Mx has a unique factorization with respect to the generator of S. We show that both problems are NP-complete in SL(2,Z), which is the set of 2×2 integer matrices with determinant 1. Moreover, we generalize the vector ambiguity problem and extend to the finite and k-vector ambiguity problems where we consider the degree of vector ambiguity of matrix semigroups

Decidability of the Membership Problem for 2×22\times 2 integer matrices

The main result of this paper is the decidability of the membership problem for $2\times 2$ nonsingular integer matrices. Namely, we will construct the first algorithm that for any nonsingular $2\times 2$ integer matrices $M_1,\dots,M_n$ and $M$ decides whether $M$ belongs to the semigroup generated by $\{M_1,\dots,M_n\}$. Our algorithm relies on a translation of the numerical problem on matrices into combinatorial problems on words. It also makes use of some algebraical properties of well-known subgroups of $\mathrm{GL}(2,\mathbb{Z})$ and various new techniques and constructions that help to limit an infinite number of possibilities by reducing them to the membership problem for regular languages

Composition problems for braids: Membership, Identity and Freeness

In this paper we investigate the decidability and complexity of problems related to braid composition. While all known problems for a class of braids with three strands, $B_3$, have polynomial time solutions we prove that a very natural question for braid composition, the membership problem, is NP-complete for braids with only three strands. The membership problem is decidable in NP for $B_3$, but it becomes harder for a class of braids with more strands. In particular we show that fundamental problems about braid compositions are undecidable for braids with at least five strands, but decidability of these problems for $B_4$ remains open. Finally we show that the freeness problem for semigroups of braids from $B_3$ is also decidable in NP. The paper introduces a few challenging algorithmic problems about topological braids opening new connections between braid groups, combinatorics on words, complexity theory and provides solutions for some of these problems by application of several techniques from automata theory, matrix semigroups and algorithms

Reachability problems for systems with linear dynamics

This thesis deals with reachability and freeness problems for systems with linear dynamics, including hybrid systems and matrix semigroups. Hybrid systems are a type of dynamical system that exhibit both continuous and discrete dynamic behaviour. Thus they are particularly useful in modelling practical real world systems which can both flow (continuous behaviour) and jump (discrete behaviour). Decision questions for matrix semigroups have attracted a great deal of attention in both the Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science communities. They can also be used to model applications with only discrete components. For a computational model, the reachability problem asks whether we can reach a target point starting from an initial point, which is a natural question both in theoretical study and for real-world applications. By studying this problem and its variations, we shall prove in a formal mathematical sense that many problems are intractable or even unsolvable. Thus we know when such a problem appears in other areas like Biology, Physics or Chemistry, either the problem itself needs to be simplified, or it should by studied by approximation. In this thesis we concentrate on a specific hybrid system model, called an HPCD, and its variations. The objective of studying this model is twofold: to obtain the most expressive system for which reachability is algorithmically solvable and to explore the simplest system for which it is impossible to solve. For the solvable sub-cases, we shall also study whether reachability is in some sense easy or hard by determining which complexity classes the problem belongs to, such as P, NP(-hard) and PSPACE(-hard). Some undecidable results for matrix semigroups are also shown, which both strengthen our knowledge of the structure of matrix semigroups, and lead to some undecidability results for other models