Irreducible numerical semigroups with multiplicity three and four

Abstract: In this paper we analyze the irreducibility of numerical semigroups with multiplicity up to four. Our approach uses the notion of Kunz-coordinates vector of a numerical semigroup recently introduced in (Blanco-Puerto, 2011). With this tool we also completely describe the whole family of minimal decompositions into irreducible numerical semigroups with the same multiplicity for this set of numerical semigroups. We give detailed examples to show the applicability of the methodology and conditions for the irreducibility of well-known families of numerical semigroups as those that are generated by a generalized arithmetic progression.