Semigroups, algorithms, automata, and languages: Coimbra, Portugal, May-July 2001

The thematic term on “Semigroups, Algorithms, Automata and Languages” organized at the International Centre of Mathematics (Coimbra, Portugal) in May–July 2001 was the gathering point for researchers working in the field of semigroups, algorithms, automata and languages.

These areas were selected considering their huge recent developments, their potential applications, and the motivation from other fields of mathematics and computer science.This proceedings volume is a unique collection of advanced courses and original contributions on semigroups and their connections with logic, automata, languages, group theory, discrete dynamics, topology and complexity.

A selection of open problems discussed during the thematic term is also included.Contents:Finite Semigroups: An Introduction to a Unified Theory of Pseudovarieties (J Almeida)On Existence Varieties of Regular Semigroups (K Auinger)Varieties of Languages (M J J Branco)A Short Introduction to Automatic Group Theory (C Choffrut)Some Results on Semigroup-Graded Rings (W D Munn)Profinite Groups and Applications to Finite Semigroups (L Ribes)Dynamics of Finite Semigroups (J Almeida)Finite Semigroups Imposing Tractable Constraints (A Bulatov et al.)On the Efficiency and Deficiency of Rees Matrix Semigroups (C M Campbell et al.)Some Pseudovariety Joins Involving Groups and Locally Trivial Semigroups (J C Costa)Partial Action of Groups on Relational Structures: A Connection Between Model Theory and Profinite Topology (T Coulbois)Some Relatives of Automatic and Hyperbolic Groups (M Hoffmann et al.)A Sampler of a Topological Approach to Inverse Semigroups (B Steinberg)Finite Semigroups and the Logical Description of Regular Languages (H Straubing)Diamonds are Forever: The Variety DA (P Tesson & D Thérien)Decidability Problems in Finite Semigroups (P G Trotter)and other papersReadership: Researchers, academics and graduate students in pure mathematics and computer science.