Discretely normed Abelian groups (Q1070038)

Let A be an abelian group; a non-negative function \(\|.\|: A\to {\mathbb{R}}\) is called an abelian group norm on A, if (i) \(\| x+y\| \leq \| x\| +\| y\|\) (\(\forall x,y\in A)\); (ii) \(\| nx\| =| n| \cdot \| x\|\) (\(\forall x\in A\), \(n\in {\mathbb{Z}})\); (iii) \(\| x\| =0\) if and only if \(x=0\). If in addition (iv) \(\exists \epsilon >0\) such that \(\| x\| \geq \epsilon\) (\(\forall 0\neq x\in A)\), then \(\|.\|\) is called a discrete norm on \(A\). It is proved that countable, discretely normed abelian groups must be free. In the proof a characterization of subgroups of \({\mathbb{R}}^ n\) is used; these subgroups are discrete topological subspaces of \({\mathbb{R}}^ n\). Moreover one may take A to be of finite rank, since A will be free if all of its subgroups of finite rank are free [see \textit{L. Fuchs}, Infinite Abelian groups, I (1970; Zbl 0209.055)].