Extension of the two-variable Pierce-Birkhoff conjecture to generalized polynomials

DOI10.5802/AFST.1274zbMATH Open1246.13037arXiv1002.0038OpenAlexW2963561573WikidataQ123165552 ScholiaQ123165552MaRDI QIDQ1959924FDOQ1959924

Charles N. Delzell

Publication date: 12 October 2010

Published in: Annales de la Faculté des Sciences de Toulouse. Mathématiques. Série VI (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Let R denote the reals, and let h: R^n --> R be a continuous, piecewise-polynomial function. The Pierce-Birkhoff conjecture (1956) is that any such h is representable in the form sup_i inf_j f_{ij}, for some finite collection of polynomials f_{ij} in R[x_1,...,x_n]. (A simple example is h(x_1) = |x_1| = sup{x_1, -x_1}.) In 1984, L. Mahe and, independently, G. Efroymson, proved this for n < 3; it remains open for n > 2. In this paper we prove an analogous result for "generalized polynomials" (also known as signomials), i.e., where the exponents are allowed to be arbitrary real numbers, and not just natural numbers; in this version, we restrict to the positive orthant, where each x_i > 0. As before, our methods work only for n < 3.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1002.0038

zbMATH Keywords

generalized polynomialstwo-variable Pierce-Birkhoff conjecture

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Semialgebraic sets and related spaces (14P10) Real algebra (13J30) Representation and superposition of functions (26B40) Real and complex fields (12D99)

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Cited In (3)

• An algebraic construction of the ring of piecewise polynomial functions
• On connectedness of sets in the real spectra of polynomial rings
• Title not available (Why is that?)

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