Rings of monoids elementarily equivalent to polynomial rings (Q1332855)

Let \(K\) be a field and \(R= K[X_ 1, \dots, X_ m]\) the ring of polynomials in \(m\) indeterminates over \(K\). The author investigates rings \(S\) elementarily equivalent (in the sense of first-order logic) to \(R\). \textit{A. Bauval} proved that if \(S\) is factorial then \(S\) is isomorphic to \(F[X_ 1, \dots, X_ m]\), where \(F\) is the field of invertible elements of \(S\) [J. Symb. Logic 50, 953-972 (1985; Zbl 0592.03006), Thm. V. 2.1]. Instead of assuming \(S\) to be factorial let \(S= L[G ]\), the semigroup ring over a division ring \(L\) of an arbitrary monoid \(G\) (notice, \(R\) itself is a semigroup ring, namely that of \(\mathbb{N}^ m\) over \(K\)). The author notes that in general such a semigroup ring need not be factorial, however in the given situation (where \(S\) is elementarily equivalent to \(R\)) he shows that \(S\) has to be (this is not trivial, since being factorial is not an elementary property). More precisely, he proves that, as in Bauval's result, \(G\cong \mathbb{N}^ m\) (Thm. 1.4) and that \(L\) is a field (Lemma 3.1) definable in \(S\) (Cor. 3.2) and elementarily equivalent to \(K\) (Lemma 6.3). For \(L\) any of the following fields, the author derives even the automorphism \(L\cong K\) (Cor. 6.2): finite fields, \(\mathbb{Q}\), algebraically closed fields of finite (absolute) transcendence degree, the field of algebraic real numbers. The author points out that only the consequences derived in the last Section 6 use Bauval's results.