Isomorphisms of algebras of smooth functions revisited (Q2569210)

Let \(M_1,M_2\) be Hausdorff smooth finite-dimensional manifolds. Let \(C^{\infty}(M_i,F)\) denote the algebra of smooth functions over the real or complex scalar field \(F\). In this interesting paper, the author gives a proof of a Banach-Stone type theorem which describes an algebra isomorphism between these spaces as implemented by a pull back by a smooth diffeomorphism between the manifolds. It is not assumed that the manifolds are second countable or paracompact. The canonical approach is to identify ideals of co-dimension one (or, equivalently, multiplicative functionals) with points of the manifold. Unlike this approach, the author calls an ideal of co-dimension one `distinguished' if it has an element which is not in any other ideal of co-dimension one. With this notation, one of the main steps of the proof is to establish that \(p \rightarrow \{f : f(p) = 0\}\) is a homeomorphism when the set of distinguished ideals of co-dimension one is equipped with the Stone topology. It is also noted that \textit{J.~Mrčun [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 133, No.~10, 3109--3113 (2005; Zbl 1077.58005)] also gave a proof of Theorem 1, using `characteristic sequences of functions' instead of characterizations of multiplicative functionals.}