To determine and analyze arbitrary left non-degenerate set-theoretic solutions of the Yang-Baxter equation (not necessarily bijective), we introduce an associative algebraic structure, called a YB-semitruss, that forms a subclass of the category of semitrusses as introduced by Brzezinski. Fundamental examples of YB-semitrusses are structure monoids of left non-degenerate set-theoretic solutions and (skew) left braces. Gateva-Ivanova and Van den Bergh introduced structure monoids and showed their importance (as well as that of the structure algebra) for studying involutive non-degenerate solutions. Skew left braces were introduced by Guarnieri, Vendramin and Rump to deal with bijective non-degenerate solutions. Hence, YB-semitrusses also yield a unified treatment of these different algebraic structures. The algebraic structure of YB-semitrusses is investigated, and as a consequence, it is proven, for example, that any finite left non-degenerate set-theoretic solution of the Yang-Baxter equation is right non-degenerate if and only if it is bijective. Furthermore, it is shown that some finite left non-degenerate solutions can be reduced to non-degenerate solutions of smaller size. The structure algebra of a finitely generated YB-semitruss is an algebra defined by homogeneous quadratic relations. We prove that it often is a left Noetherian algebra of finite Gelfand-Kirillov dimension that satisfies a polynomial identity, but in general, it is not right Noetherian.
The distributive laws of ring theory are fundamental equalities in algebra. However, recently in the study of the Yang-Baxter equation, many algebraic structures with alternative distributive laws were defined. In an effort to study these left distributive laws and the interaction they entail on the algebraic structures, Brzezinski introduced skew left trusses and left semi-trusses. In particular the class of left semi-trusses is very wide, since it contains all rings, associative algebras and distributive lattices. In this paper, we investigate the subclass of left semi-trusses that behave like the algebraic structures that came up in the study of the Yang-Baxter equation. We study the interaction of the operations and what this interaction entails on their respective semigroups. In particular, we prove that in the finite case the additive structure is a completely regular semigroup. Secondly, we apply our results on a particular instance of a left semi-truss called an almost left semi-brace, introduced by Miccoli to study its algebraic structure. In particular, we show that one can associate a left semi-brace to any almost left semi-brace. Furthermore, we show that the set-theoretic solutions of the Yang-Baxter equation originating from almost left semi-braces arise from this correspondence.
