Nonstandard extension of not-everywhere-defined positive operators (Q1920786)

Let \(X\) and \(Z\) be ordered vector spaces (OVS) and let \(U\) be a general extended operator from \(X\) into \(Z\), i.e., a positive linear operator from \(X\) into \(Z\cup\{\pm\infty\}\). A classical example of a general extended operator is presented by the Lebesgue integral defined on the space \(S\), of all measurable functions on an interval, or on \(L^\infty(\mathbb{R})\). Actually, the notion of extended operator is interesting only for directed OVSs (recall that directedness of \(X\) means \(X=X^0\), where \(X^0=X^+-X^+\)). It is convenient to assume \(U:X^+\to Z^+\cup\{\infty\}\) for such OVSs. Denote the set of all general extended operators from \(X\) into \(Z\) by \(\Gamma(X,Z)\). We raise the question whether it is possible to extend \(Z\) to some OVS \(Z_*\) so that, for every \(U\in\Gamma(X,Z)\), there is a conventional positive linear operator \(U_*:X\to Z_*\) such that \(U_*(x)=U(x)\) for \(U(x)<\infty\) and \(U_*(x)\) is, in some sense, an ``infinite element'' of \(Z_*\) if \(U(x)=\infty\). Moreover, if \(X\) and \(Z\) are vector lattices (VL) then it is natural to require additionally that \(Z_*\) be a VL too. The present article provides a positive answer to the stated question under rather general assumptions. Moreover, we take as \(Z_*\) a suitable ultrapower of the space \(Z\).