Convex polarities over ordered fields (Q2655008)

The authors formulate a theory of convexity in \(K^n\) over an arbitrary ordered field \(K\). Pursuing analogy with real algebraic geometry, the authors introduce the notions of semi-linear set in \(K^n\) and join. A first result asserts that the family of semi-linear sets is closed under joins. Then, the authors proceed to emulate the ultrafilter construction of orderings from the theory of the real spectrum of a commutative ring in considering certain ideal points to \(K^n\). In the presence of these new points one can generalize notions such as polar sets and convex duality and prove a separation theorem from arbitrary convex cones over \(K\). The results obtained in this framework, although inspired by and bearing resemblance to classical ones, do not reduce to familiar ones. The additional information extracted from the generalized context is used in the classification of total cones, on the one hand, and in decomposing a total convex cone in \(K^n\) into something similar to a partial flag of half-spaces, on the other hand. Further applications to convex geometry in \(\mathbb R^n\) are indicated in the last section. The paper makes an appealing reading because the ideas are very clearly stated, motivations are carefully explained, both the statements and the proofs are simpler in the generalized context.