On the one dimensional polynomial and regular images of \(\mathbb R^n\) (Q2443284)

A map \(f:{\mathbb R}^n\to{\mathbb R}^m\) is called a polynomial map if each of its components is a polynomial. A subset \(S\) of \({\mathbb R}^m\) is a polynomial image of \({\mathbb R}^n\) if \(S=f({\mathbb R}^n)\) for such an \(f\). For \(S\subset{\mathbb R}^m\), one defines \(p(S)\) as the smallest \(p\geq1\) such that \(S=f({\mathbb R}^p),\) with \(f\) a polynomial map. If this is not the case, then \(p(S)=+\infty.\) Analogously, one has that a map \(f:{\mathbb R}^n\to{\mathbb R}^m\) is called regular if each of its components is a rational function which does is well-defined everywhere in \({\mathbb R}^n\). A subset \(S\) of \({\mathbb R}^m\) is a regular image of \({\mathbb R}^n\) if \(S=f({\mathbb R}^n)\) for such an \(f\). For \(S\subset{\mathbb R}^m\), one defines \(r(S)\) as the smallest \(r\geq1\) such that \(S=f({\mathbb R}^r),\) with \(f\) regular. If this is not the case, then \(r(S)=+\infty.\) From these definitions, one has clearly \(\dim (S)\leq r(S)\leq p(S).\) The paper under review characterizes all the possible values of \(p(S)\) and \(r(S)\) in the case where \(\dim(S)=1.\) The classification is as follows: \[ \begin{matrix} r(S)& p(S)& S\\ 1&1&{\mathbb R}\,\text{or}\, [0,+\infty)\\ 1&2&\text{cannot happen}\\ 1&+\infty& [0,1)\\ 2&2& (0,+\infty)\\ 2&+\infty& (0,1)\\ +\infty& +\infty& \text{any non-rational algebraic curve} \end{matrix} \]