Partial transformation groupoids attached to graphs and semigroups

We introduce the notion of continuous orbit equivalence for partial dynamical systems, and give an equivalent characterization in terms of Cartan-isomorphisms for partial C*-crossed products. Both graph C*-algebras and semigroup C*-algebras can be described as C*-algebras attached to partial dynamical systems. As applications, for graphs, we generalize and explain a result of Matsumoto and Matui relating orbit equivalence and Cartan-isomorphism, and for semigroups, we strengthen several structural results for semigroup C*-algebras concerning amenability, nuclearity as well as simplicity of boundary quotients. We also discuss pure infiniteness for partial transformation groupoids arising from graphs and semigroups.