Locally definable groups in o-minimal structures (Q2498881)

The paper under review introduces locally definable groups in o-minimal structures and develops their theory in this framework. Locally definable groups generalize definable groups, but they also refer to \(\lor\)-definable groups, meaning groups where both the underlying sets and the graphs of the group operation are unions of definable sets. The latter groups were studied in the o-minimal setting by Peterzil and Starchenko; actually their definition includes a further condition on the size of the set of defining parameters and requires it to be countable. Locally definable groups have to satisfy an additional assumption on the size ot fhe family of definable sets; this size has also to be countable. The author observes that examples of locally definable groups arise in a natural way in o-minimal structures and indeed accompany definable groups. The aim of the paper is just to generalize the basic theory of definable groups to the locally definable setting. For instance it is proved that locally definable groups admit a locally definable topological structure making their group operations and homomorphisms between them continuous. But the main novelty of the paper, and the crucial notion about locally definable groups \((Z,+)\) (over \(A\), say), is the notion of \textsl{compatible} locally definable subgroup, meaning a locally definable subgroup \(C\) of \(Z\) such that, for every open \(A\)-definable subset \(X\) of \(Z\), \(C \cap X\) is also \(A\)-definable. It is shown that every locally definable group has a unique connected compatible locally definable subgroup of maximal dimension, and that compatible locally definable subgroups satisfy the descending chain condition. Notably, the same results do not hold any more if one removes the compatibility hypothesis and one deals with arbitrary locally definable subgroups. The quotient of a locally definable group by a compatible locally definable normal subgroup is shown to be a locally definable group with a locally definable section. Group extension theory and group cohomology are developed among locally definable groups with locally definable homomorphisms on this basis. Also, solvable locally definable groups are described, as well as locally definable transitive actions of locally definable groups on locally definable sets. Further applications are explored, such as the existence of strong definable choice for locally definable groups and the existence of compatible locally definable abelian subgroups of positive dimension of locally definable groups of positive dimension.