Produits lexicographiques de groupes ordonnés: Isomorphisme et équivalence élémentaire. (Lexicographic products of ordered groups: isomorphism and elementary equivalence) (Q1109800)

If A and B are totally ordered groups (o-groups, for short), then A\({\vec \times}B\) denotes the lexicographic product of A and B, \({\vec \times}_ nA\) the lexicographic product of n copies of A, \(\sum A\) the lexicographic sum of \(\omega\) copies of A and \(\prod A\) the lexicographic Cartesian product of \(\omega\) copies of a. The main results of this paper are: (1) There exist countable Abelian o-groups A and B such that A\({\vec \times}A{\vec \times}B\cong B\) but A\({\vec \times}B\cong B\), the isomorphisms being as o-groups. (2) There is an uncountable Abelian o- group B such that \({\mathbb{Z}}{\vec \times}{\mathbb{Z}}{\vec \times}B\cong B\) but \({\mathbb{Z}}\vec xB\cong B\) where \({\mathbb{Z}}\) denotes the additive o-group of integers and all indicated isomorphisms are as o-groups. These results are reminiscent of those of \textit{A. S. L. Corner} [Proc. Colloq. Abelian Groups, 43-48 (1964; Zbl 0132.272)] for Abelian groups but the examples are much simpler and quite selfcontained. In contrast the author proves that if A is a free countable Abelian group with any order that makes it an o-group and B is any countable Abelian o-group then (\({\vec \times}_ nA){\vec \times}B\cong B\) implies A\({\vec \times}B\cong B\). Results on \(\equiv_{\infty \omega}\) are also given. The constructions are clever and the paper is well written and completely understandable by any mathematician.