Bipartite graphs and completely 0-simple semigroups

In a manner similar to the construction of the fundamental group of a connected graph, this article introduces the construction of a fundamental semigroup associated with a bipartite graph. This semigroup is a 0-direct union of idempotent generated completely 0-simple semigroups. The maximal nonzero subgroups are the corresponding fundamental groups of the connected components. Adding labelled edges to the graph leads to a more general completely 0-simple semigroup. The basic properties of such semigroups are examined and they are shown to have certain universal properties as illustrated by the fact that the free completely simple semigroup on n generators and its idempotent generated subsemigroup appear as special cases.