On the existence of directed rings and algebras with negative squares (Q2368728)

In 1926, E. Artin and O. Schreier proved that a totally ordered field cannot have squares which are equal to \(-1\). This result was generalized to totally ordered integral domains with identity by R. E. Johnson (1956) and L. Fuchs (1958). In the paper under review it is shown that this result cannot be generalized to directed partially ordered integral domains. In fact, a method for constructing such directed partially ordered rings and algebras having negative squares is presented. This is done using certain negative valuations of a totally ordered field \(F\). It is proved that on every extension \(F(a)\) such that \(a^2=-1\), there exists a partial order with respect to which \(F(a)\) is a directed field. In particular, if \(Q\) denotes the quotient field of the polynomial ring \(F[x]\), then for any solution \(a\) of \(x^2+1=0\), \(Q(a)\) can be partially ordered so that it forms a directed field. Analoguous results are shown for directed \(R\)-algebras, where \(R\) is a totally ordered ring. Finally, three concrete examples of directed \(R\)-algebras are given, which are not lattice-ordered.