Series with general exponents (Q1174854)

Let \(R\) be a poset, and \(K\) an additive group. The author calls a sequence \((c_ a)_{a\in R}\) Artinian [Noetherian] if and only if for all \(r\in R\) there are only finitely many \(a\leq r\) \([a\geq r]\) such that \(c_ a\neq 0\). The sets of corresponding formal sums are denoted \(K(x)^ R\) and \(K(x)_ R\), respectively. He shows that \(K(x)^ R\) and \(K(x)_ R\) are \(K\)-algebras under the usual operations, if \(K\) is a ring, and \(R\) is an ordered monoid. If \(K\) is a field, and \(R\) an Archimedean group, both algebras are fields. On the topological side he needs completeness of \(K\) and \(R\) to arrive at \(K(x)^ R\) and \(K(x)_ R\) as completions of the finite sums under suitable topologies. Because the real numbers \({\mathbf R}\) are the only complete Archimedean field, \(R= {\mathbf R}\) is assumed in the sequel. For complex \(z= ae^{i\theta}\), \(a\in {\mathbf R}\), \(0\leq \theta< 2\pi\), and pair \((t, n)\in {\mathbf R}\times {\mathbf Z}\) the mapping \(z\mapsto z^{t;n}:= a^ t e^{it(\theta+ 2n\pi)}\) is a topological group homomorphism from the additive group of real numbers to the multiplicative group of nonzero complex numbers. This is an example of what the author calls an exponential ring: a ring \(K\) over the monoid \({\mathbf R}\) that is associated with a family of ring isomorphisms \(x\mapsto x^{a;k}\), where \(x\in K\), \(a\in {\mathbf R}\), \(n\in {\mathbf Z}\), such that \(x^{a+ b;k}= x^{a;k} x^{b;k}\), and these isomorphisms must be continuous, preserve grading, etc., if applicable. He proves that if \(K\) is an exponential ring over \({\mathbf R}\), then so are \(K(x)^{{\mathbf R}}\) and \(K(x)_{{\mathbf R}}\). After real powers of Artinian and Noetherian series are defined, these series can be composed and inverted, under suitable assumptions (Lagrange inversion). Using a multivariate generalization of Artinian and Noetherian algebras, an application to symmetric functions with nonnegative real exponents is given. Replacing integers by reals in the usual partitions, the monomial symmetric series again form a basis.