Convexity theories. 0: Foundations (Q1330911)

The theory of totally convex modules developed by the reviewer and the author [Commun. Algebra 12, 953-1019 (1984; Zbl 0552.46042)] turned out to be just the first of a whole series of different types of convex modules, as e.g. positively convex or superconvex modules. This led the author to a systematic investigation of the notion of an abstract convexity theory. The present paper is an important part of this investigation but not the end of it; a continuation by the author with two co-authors will appear presently. In order to be able to define the notion of a general convexity theory the author introduces prenormed semirings and semimodules. For special types of prenormed semirings the unit ball functor from the category of excellent \(R\)-prenormed semimodules to sets is shown to be premonadic (2.12). After introducing finitary convexity theories over an arbitrary prenormed semiring by axioms generalizing those in the paper cited above the algebraic category \(\Gamma C\) of left \(\Gamma\)-modules is introduced for such a convexity theory \(\Gamma\). The unit ball of \(R\)-prenormed semimodules carries a canonical structure of a left \(\Gamma\)-module and induces a functor from the category \(\text{RpnSmod}^ 1\) of \(R\)- prenormed semimodules and linear contractions to the category \(\Gamma C\), \(\bigcirc_ \Gamma : \text{RpnSmod}^ 1 \to \Gamma C\), which has a left adjoint \(S_ \Gamma\). Under canonical assumptions this adjoint situation restricts to the subcategory of excellent \(R\)-prenormed semimodules. As a preparation for the study of infinitary convexity theories infinite sums and convergence notions are introduced in \S4. After discussing the connections between the pretopology, induced by the prenorm in a prenormed semimodule, and algebraic properties, the author defines the category of \(R\)-Banach semimodules over a Banach semiring \(R\) and proves that the unit ball functor restricted to the full subcategory of excellent \(R\)-Banach semimodules to Set is premonadic under canonical assumptions on \(R\). In this case he succeeds to prove very interesting results for an infinitary convexity theory \(\Gamma\), which are analogous to those for finitary theories.