The large rank of a finite semigroup using prime subsets

Abstract

The \emph{large rank} of a finite semigroup $\Gamma$, denoted by $r_5(\Gamma)$, is the least number $n$ such that every subset of $\Gamma$ with $n$ elements generates $\Gamma$. Howie and Ribeiro showed that $r_5(\Gamma) = |V| + 1$, where $V$ is a largest proper subsemigroup of $\Gamma$. This work considers the complementary concept of subsemigroups, called \emph{prime subsets}, and gives an alternative approach to find the large rank of a finite semigroup. In this connection, the paper provides a shorter proof of Howie and Ribeiro's result about the large rank of Brandt semigroups. Further, this work obtains the large rank of the semigroup of order-preserving singular selfmaps.