Polynomial density of commutative semigroups

Abstract

An algebra is said to be polynomially n−dense if all equational theories extending the equational theory of the algebra with constants have a relative base consisting of equations in no more than n variables. In this paper, we investigate polynomial density of commutative semigroups. In particular, we prove that, for n > 1, a commutative semigroup is (n − 1)-dense if and only if its subsemigroup consisting of all n−factor-products is either a monoid or a union of groups of a bounded order. Moreover, a commutative semigroup is 0-dense if and only if it is a bounded semilattice. For semilattices, we give a full description of the corresponding lattices of equational theories.