Regular subsets of valued fields and Bhargava's \(v\)-orderings (Q1955715)

Let \(K\) be a field with a rank-one valuation, and let \(V\) be the corresponding valuation domain. A set \(S\subset K\) is \textit{polynomially closed} if it has the following property: if a polynomial \(f\in K[X]\) satisfies \(f(S)\subset V\), and \(a\in K\setminus S\), then \(f(a)\notin V\). Sets of the form \(S(x,\gamma)=\{y\in S:\;v(x-y)\geq \gamma\}\) are called \(S\)-balls. The number of distinct \(S\)-balls \(S(x,\gamma)\) (\(x\in S\)) is denoted by \(q_\gamma\leq\infty\), and one puts \(\gamma_\infty(S)=\sup\{\gamma:\;q_\gamma<\infty\}\). A fractional set \(S\) is said to be \textit{preregular} if for every \(\gamma < \delta\) every non-empty \(S\)-ball \(S(x,\gamma)\) is the disjoint union of \(q_\delta/q_\gamma\) (if \(q_\delta<\infty\)), resp. infinitely many (if \(q_\delta=\infty\)) non-empty \(S\)-balls \(S(y,\delta)\). \(S\) is said to be \textit{regular} if it is polynomially closed and for \(y,z\in S\) the \(S\)-balls \(S(y,\gamma)\) and \(S(z,\gamma)\) are isometric for each \(\gamma\). The authors study relations between regular sets, very well distributed sequences (\(VWD\) sequences, defined as sequences \(a_n\in S\) such that for every \(\gamma\) and \(s\in N\) the elements \(a_{sq_\gamma}\), \(a_{sq_\gamma+1}\), \dots, \(a_{(s+1)q_\gamma-1}\) lie in distinct sets \(S(a,\gamma)\)) and \(v\)-orderings, introduced for discrete valuation domains by \textit{M. Bhargava} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 490, 101--127 (1997; Zbl 0899.13022); J. Number Theory 72, No. 1, 67--75 (1998; Zbl 0931.13004)] and extended to rank-one valuation domains by the first author [Commut. Algebra Arab J. Sci. Eng. Sect. C 26, 51--68 (2001)]. They show in particular that \(S\) admits a \(VWD\) sequence if and only if it is preregular (Prop. 4.10 and 4.11), and such a sequence is a \(v\)-ordering of \(S\) (Cor. 4.5). A \(v\)-ordering \(\{a_n\}\) of \(S\) is a \textit{strong ordering} if for every \(k\geq1\) the sequence \(\{a_{k+n}\}\) is also a \(v\)-ordering. It is shown that the sequence \(\{a_n\}\) is a strong \(v\)-ordering if and only if it is a \(VWDWO\)-sequence, i.e., any \(q_\gamma\) its consecutive elements lie in distinct sets \(S(a,\gamma)\) (Prop.6.10). Theorem 6.11, the main theorem of the paper, lists four properties equivalent to the preregularity of an infinite fractional subset of \(K\) with infinite \(q_{\gamma_\infty}\). In the final section the authors apply their results to a study of polynomials with integer-valued divided differences on a regular set.