Homomorphisms from \(C(X,\mathbb {Z})\) into a ring of continuous functions (Q1652866)

The system ZFC is assumed. Let \(X\) be a zero-dimensional Hausdorff space. Then \(X\) is called \(\mathbb{N}\)-compact if there exists a cardinal \(\kappa\) such that \(X\) is homeomorphic to a closed subspace of \(\mathbb{N}^{\kappa}\). It is known that there exists an \(\mathbb{N}\)-compact space \(v_0 X\) such that \(X\) is a dense subspace of \(v_0 X\) and each function \(f\in C(X, \mathbb{Z})\) has a continuous extension \(f^{v_0}\in C(v_0 X, \mathbb{Z})\). Let us recall that the Banaschewski compactification \(\beta_0 X\) of \(X\) is the Stone space of the Boolean algebra of clopen subsets of \(X\). In the article, it is proved that if \(\Phi: C(X,\mathbb{Z})\to\mathbb{R}\) is a non-zero ring homomorphism, then \(\Phi(C(X,\mathbb{Z}))=\mathbb{Z}\) and there exists a unique point \(x\in v_0 X\) such that \(\Phi(f)=f^{v_0}(x)\) for each \(f\in C(X,\mathbb{Z})\). It is deduced that if \(Y\) is a Tychonoff space, while \(\Phi: C(X, \mathbb{Z})\to C(Y)\) is a non-zero ring homomorphism, then there exists a continuous mapping \(\pi:Y\to v_0 X\) such that \(\Phi(f)=f^{v_0}\circ \pi\) for each \(f\in C(X,\mathbb{Z})\) and, moreover, there exists a subset \(A\) of \(v_0 X\) such that \(Ker(\Phi)=\bigcap\{P^{a}: a\in A\}\) where \(P^{a}=\{f\in C(X, \mathbb{Z}): f^{v_0}(a)=0\}\) is a minimal prime ideal of \(C(X, \mathbb{Z})\). If \(\Phi: C(X,\mathbb{Z})\to\mathbb{R}\) is a non-zero ring homomorphism, then there exists a unique point \(a\in v_0 X\) such that \(Ker(\Phi)=P^{a}\). If \(R\) is a subring of \(\mathbb{R}\), then the collection of all functions \(f\in C(X, R)\) such that the set \(\{x\in X: f(x)\neq 0\}\) is finite is denoted by \(C_F(X, R)\). The collection of all locally constant functions from \(C(X, \mathbb{Q})\) is denoted by \(C_{lc}(X, \mathbb{Q})\). The classical ring of quotients of a ring \(R\) is denoted by \(Q_{cl}(R)\). It is shown that the rings \(Q_{cl}(C(X, \mathbb{Z}))\) and \(C_{lc}(X, \mathbb{Q})\) are isomorphic. Moreover, \(C_{lc}(X, \mathbb{Q})\) is the unique von Neumann regular subring of \(C(X,\mathbb{Q})\) which contains \(C(X, \mathbb{Z})\). That \(C(X, \mathbb{Q})\) is von Neumann regular is equivalent to any of the following conditions: (i) \(X\) is a \(P\)-space, (ii) \(C(X, \mathbb{Q})\) is \(\aleph_0\)-self-injective, (iii) \(Q_{cl}(C(X, \mathbb{Z}))\) is \(\aleph_0\)-self-injective; (iv) \(Q_{cl}(C(X, \mathbb{Z}))\) is isomorphic with \(C(Y, \mathbb{Q})\) for some zero-dimensional space \(Y\). The space \(X\) is an extremally disconnected \(P\)-space if and only if \(C(X, \mathbb{Z})\) is an \(I\)-ring. Other relevant results and some properties of the factor ring \(\frac{C(X,\mathbb{Z})}{C_F(X,\mathbb{Z})}\) are also given. Among them, it is shown that \(\frac{C(X,\mathbb{Z})}{C_F(X,\mathbb{Z})}\) can be embedded in a ring of continuous functions if and only if each infinite subset of isolated points of \(X\) has a limit point in \(v_0 X\). In consequence, the factor ring \(\frac{\prod_{x\in X}\mathbb{Z}_x}{\bigoplus_{x\in X}\mathbb{Z}_x}\) is not embedded in any ring of continuous functions when \(X\) is infinite and \(\mathbb{Z}_x=\mathbb{Z}\) for each \(x\in X\). If \(X\) is a Stone space, then \(\frac{C(X,\mathbb{Z})}{C_F(X,\mathbb{Z})}\) is isomorphic to \(C(X\setminus\mathbb{I}(X), \mathbb{Z})\) where \(\mathbb{I}(X)\) stands for the set of all isolated points of \(X\). The ring \((\frac{C(X,\mathbb{Z})}{C_F(X,\mathbb{Z})})^{\ast}\) of all bounded elements of \(\frac{C(X,\mathbb{Z})}{C_F(X,\mathbb{Z})}\) is isomorphic to \(C(\beta_0 X\setminus \mathbb{I}(X), \mathbb{Z})\). The classical ring of quotients of \(\frac{C(X,\mathbb{Z})}{C_F(X,\mathbb{Z})}\) is isomorphic to the factor ring \(\frac{C_{lc}(X,\mathbb{Q})}{C_F(X,\mathbb{Q})}\). If both \(X\) and \(Y\) are zero-dimensional, then \(v_0 X\) and \(v_0 Y\) are homeomorphic if and only if \(C(X, \mathbb{Z})\) and \(C(Y, \mathbb{Z})\) are isomorphic, while \(\beta_0 X\setminus \mathbb{I}(X))\) and \(\beta_o Y\setminus\mathbb{I}(Y)\) are homeomorphic if and only if \((\frac{C(X,\mathbb{Z})}{C_F(X,\mathbb{Z})})^{\ast}\) and \((\frac{C(Y,\mathbb{Z})}{C_F(Y,\mathbb{Z})})^{\ast}\) are isomorphic. Finally, it is proved that \(\frac{C(X,\mathbb{Z})}{C_F(X,\mathbb{Z})}\) is an \(I\)-ring if and only if each infinite subset of isolated points of \(X\) has a limit point in \(v_0 X\) and \(v_0 X\setminus\mathbb{I}(X)\) is an extremally disconnected \(P\)-space which is \(C_{\mathbb{Z}}\)-embedded in \(v_0 X\). Among other references, the article [\textit{F. M. Vechtomov}, J. Math. Sci. 78, 702--753 (1996; Zbl 0868.46018)] is very helpful.