Restrictions on local embeddability into finite semigroups

Abstract We expand the concept of local embeddability into finite structures (LEF) for the class of semigroups with investigations of non-LEF structures, a closely related generalising property of local wrapping of finite structures (LWF) and inverse semigroups. The established results include a description of a family of non-LEF semigroups unifying the bicyclic monoid and Baumslag–Solitar groups and demonstrating that inverse LWF semigroups with finite number of idempotents are LEF.