Distinguished representations of non-negative polynomials (Q2386076)

This paper is devoted to the study of the representations in the quadratic module generated by \(g_1,\ldots,g_r\in {\mathbb R}[x]={\mathbb R}[x_1,\ldots,x_n]\) of a polynomial \(f\in {\mathbb R}[x]\) which is positive semidefinite on the basic compact set \(K=\{g_1\geq 0,\ldots,g_r\geq 0\}\). More precisely, the author looks for representations of \(f\) of the type \(f=s_0+s_1g_1+\cdots+s_rg_r\) with each \(s_i\) a sum of squares in \({\mathbb R}[x]\); and he is specially interested in the representation of those polynomials which have zeros at \(K\). The case when \(f\) is strictly positive in \(K\) was already solved by \textit{K. Schmüdgen} [Math. Ann. 289, 203--206 (1991; Zbl 0744.44008)]. In the case when the quadratic module generated by \(g_1,\ldots,g_r\) is archimedean, the author establishes a local-global condition for a polynomial having such a representation, which refers to the zero set of \(f\) in \(K\) and which is most useful when this zero set is discrete, hence finite. In this case, the existence of an identity of the type \(f=s_0+s_1g_1+\cdots+s_rg_r\) follows from the existence of such identities in the completed local rings of the zeros of \(f\) in \(K\). The author also presents a number of concrete situations where this local-global condition can be applied. As another application he solves an open problem from [\textit{S. Kuhlmann, M. Marshall} and \textit{N. Schwartz} [Adv. Geom. 5, No.4, 583--606 (2005; Zbl 1095.14055)] on one-dimensional quadratic modules. More precisely, he answers the question: Does there exist a quadratic module \(M\) in \({\mathbb R}[x] = {\mathbb R}[x_1]\) which is not a preordering, but whose associated set \(K\) is compact? (When \(K\) is allowed to be non-compact, or when \(n\geq 2\), the answer was well known to be yes.) In fact, in this article the author discusses this question more generally on algebraic curves, and uses his main result to show that the answer is NO if the curve has no real singular points and that the answer is YES if the curve has a non-isolated real singular point.