Quasi-countable inverse semigroups as metric spaces, and the uniform Roe algebras of locally finite inverse semigroups

Abstract

Given any quasi-countable, in particular, any countable inverse semigroup S , we introduce a way to equip S with a proper and right subinvariant extended metric. This generalizes the notion of proper, right invariant metrics for discrete countable groups. Such a metric is shown to be unique up to bijective coarse equivalence of the semigroup, and hence depends essentially only on S . This allows us to unambiguously define the uniform Roe algebra of S , which we prove can be realized as a canonical crossed product of \ell^{\infty}(S) and S . We relate these metrics to the analogous metrics on Hausdorff étale groupoids. Using this setting, we study those inverse semigroups with asymptotic dimension 0 . Generalizing results known for groups, we show that these are precisely the locally finite inverse semigroups and are further characterized by having strongly quasi-diagonal uniform Roe algebras. We show that, unlike in the group case, having a finite uniform Roe algebra is strictly weaker and is characterized by S being locally \mathcal{L} -finite, and equivalently sparse as a metric space.