Partition regular systems of linear inequalities (Q1267963)

The paper generalizes a result of Rado on regular systems of linear equations to partition regular systems of linear inequalities. A homogeneous system of linear equations is called regular over a ring \(R\) if it has monochromatic solutions for every coloring of \(R\) with finitely many colors. Generalizing this concept to systems of linear inequalities, the author shows that the characterization of regularity based on the so-called column property of the constraint matrix as given by Rado can be generalized to the case of linear inequalities. A complete characterization of those systems of inequalities that are partition regular over the natural numbers, over the set of integers and over the rationals is given for homogeneous as well as for inhomogeneous systems. An extension to the real numbers is proven for the homogeneous case. Moreover, an alternative, semantical characterization of regular systems of equations as introduced by Deuber is extended to partition regular systems of inequalities. The paper concludes with a canonical partition theorem for systems of inequalities.