Uniform valuations on planar ternary rings (Q1116090)

Let \((T,\tau)\) be a planar ternary ring. For \(a,b\in T\) let \(a\cdot b:=\tau (a,b,0)\), \(a+b:=\tau (1,a,b),\) \(a-b\) the solution \(x\) of \(a=x+b=\tau (1,x,b)\) and \(-a:=0-a.\) Then there are the two sets of correction factors: \(R_ 1(T):=\{r\in T|\) \(\exists m,x,a,b\in T\), \(a\neq b:\) \(\tau (m,x,a)-\tau (m,x,b)=r\cdot (a-b)\}\) and \(R_ 2(T):=\{r\in T|\) \(\exists n,m,x,d,c,u\in T\), \(n\neq m\), \(u\neq x\), \(\tau (m,u,c)=\tau (n,u,d):\) \(\tau (n,x,d)-\tau (m,x,c)=r\cdot ((n- m)(x-u))\}\). Let \(R'(T):=R_ 1(T)\cup R_ 2(T)\). Since \(R'(T)\subset T^*:=T\setminus \{0\}\) and since \((T^*,\cdot)\) is a loop, there is a normal subloop \(R=R(T)\) of \((T^*,\cdot)\) generated by \(R'(T)\). (In the case that (T,\(\tau)\) is derived from a field \((T,+,\cdot)\) hence \(\tau (m,a,b)=ma+b,\) we have \(R=\{1\}.)\). The author calls a map v: \(T\to \Gamma \cup \{0\}^ a \)uniform valuation if \((\Gamma,\cdot)\) is an ordered loop with identity 1 and with a smallest element 0 such that (V1) \(v(a)=0 \Leftrightarrow a=0\), (V2) \(v(a\cdot b)=v(a)\cdot v(b)\), (V3) v(a-b)\(\leq \max \{v(a),v(b)\}\), (V4) \(r\in R'(T):\) \(v(r)=1\). With this new notion the author can extend the theory of valuations for fields to planar ternary rings. For the sets \(U:=\{t\in T|\) \(v(t)=1\}\), \(I:=\{t\in T|\) \(v(t)<1\}\), \(A:=U\cup I\) he proves: \((A,+)\) is a subgroup of \((T,+)\), \((I,+)\) a normal subgroup of \((A,+)\). Therefore \(T':=A/_ I\) can be provided by \(\tau\) with a well defined ternary operation \(\tau '\). It turns out that \((T',\tau ')\) is also a planar ternary ring and the map \(\lambda: T\to T'\cup \{\infty \}\); \(x\to x+I\) if \(v(x)\leq 1\), \(x\to \infty\) if \(v(x)>1\) is a place. Then the author studies the relations between uniform valuations \(v\) and orderings \(\leq\) of \(T\). If one of the equivalent statements (1) \(0<a\leq b \Rightarrow v(a)\leq v(b)\), (2) \(A\) is convex, (3) \(I\) is convex, (4) \(1-I\subset \{x\in T| x>0\}\) is valid then the author calls \(v\) and \(\leq\) compatible. He shows: If \((T,\tau,\leq)\) is ordered then there is a finest uniform valuation \(v\) which is compatible with \(\leq\). Finally he considers the situation for special ternary rings like semi- and near-fields and compares his notion with the notion of valuations given by \textit{H. Wefelscheid} [Abh. math. Semin. Univ. Hamb. 39, 130-146 (1973; Zbl 0267.12103)] for near-fields and van Maldeghem for planar ternary rings. He proves: A valuation in the sense of van Maldeghem is uniform.