Topological finiteness properties of monoids. Part 1: Foundations

We initiate the study of higher dimensional topological finiteness properties of monoids. This is done by developing the theory of monoids acting on CW complexes. For this we establish the foundations of $M$-equivariant homotopy theory where $M$ is a discrete monoid. For projective $M$-CW complexes we prove several fundamental results such as the homotopy extension and lifting property, which we use to prove the $M$-equivariant Whitehead theorems. We define a left equivariant classifying space as a contractible projective $M$-CW complex. We prove that such a space is unique up to $M$-homotopy equivalence and give a canonical model for such a space via the nerve of the right Cayley graph category of the monoid. The topological finiteness conditions left-$\mathrm{F}_n$ and left geometric dimension are then defined for monoids in terms of existence of a left equivariant classifying space satisfying appropriate finiteness properties. We also introduce the bilateral notion of $M$-equivariant classifying space, proving uniqueness and giving a canonical model via the nerve of the two-sided Cayley graph category, and we define the associated finiteness properties bi-$\mathrm{F}_n$ and geometric dimension. We explore the connections between all of the these topological finiteness properties and several well-studied homological finiteness properties of monoids which are important in the theory of string rewriting systems, including $\mathrm{FP}_n$, cohomological dimension, and Hochschild cohomological dimension. We also develop the corresponding theory of $M$-equivariant collapsing schemes (that is, $M$-equivariant discrete Morse theory), and among other things apply it to give topological proofs of results of Anick, Squier and Kobayashi that monoids which admit presentations by complete rewriting systems are left-, right- and bi-$\mathrm{FP}_\infty$.Comment: 59 pages, 1 figur

Homological finiteness conditions for groups, monoids and algebras

Recently Alonso and Hermiller introduced a homological finiteness condition\break $bi{-}FP_n$ (here called {\it weak} $bi{-}FP_n$) for monoid rings, and Kobayashi and Otto introduced a different property, also called $bi{-}FP_n$ (we adhere to their terminology). From these and other papers we know that: $bi{-}FP_n \Rightarrow$ left and right $FP_n \Rightarrow$ weak $bi{-}FP_n$; the first implication is not reversible in general; the second implication is reversible for group rings. We show that the second implication is reversible in general, even for arbitrary associative algebras (Theorem 1'), and we show that the first implication {\it is} reversible for group rings (Theorem 2). We also show that the all four properties are equivalent for connected graded algebras (Theorem 4). A result on retractions (Theorem 3') is proved, and some questions are raised.Comment: 10 page