Weak containment and Clifford semigroups

Abstract

SynopsisLet S be a Clifford semigroup with identity. The weak containment question is posed for S, and answered affirmatively when each of the maximal groups Se in S is amenable. The amenability of S itself is characterised in terms of PL(S), the set of normalised positive definite functions on S arising from the left regular representation of S. A type of mean associated with PL(S) and satisfying a condition weaker than left invariance is introduced.