Positive polynomials on fibre products (Q2370796)

Quadratic modules are among the basic structures that are encountered in the algebraic study of positivity. Given a ring \(A\), a subset \(Q\) is a quadratic module if it contains 1 and is closed under addition and multiplication by squares. It is Archimedean if for each \(a\in A\) there is some \(n\in\mathbb{N}\) such that \(n- a\in Q\). If \(A= \mathbb{R}[V]\) is the coordinate ring of some real algebraic variety \(V\subseteq\mathbb{R}^d\) then one associates with \(Q\) the closed set \(P(Q)= \{x\in V\mid\forall q\in Q: q(x)\geq 0\}\). This set is compact if the quadratic module is Archimedean. The membership problem for quadratic modules asks: Given a ring \(A\) with a quadratic module \(Q\) and some element \(a\in A\), how does one recognize whether \(a\in Q\)? One known answer is: If \(A= \mathbb{R}[V]\), if \(Q\) is Archimedean and if \(a|_{P(Q)}> 0\) then \(a\in Q\). In the present note this result is extended to \(\bullet\) coordinate rings of finite projective limits of real varieties, and \(\bullet\) direct limits of coordinate rings of countable directed projective systems of real varieties, together with a compatible system of Archimedean quadratic modules on each component of the projective system.