Sets of polynomial rings in two variables and factorizations of polynomial morphisms (Q298027)

In the paper under review, the authors study infinite strictly descending sequences \(A_0\supset A_1\supset\cdots\) of algebras where each \(A_i\) is isomorphic to the polynomial algebra \(\mathbf{k}^{[2]}\) in two variables over a field \(\mathbf{k}\), subject to the condition \(\bigcap_{i=0}^{\infty}A_i\not=\mathbf{k}\). A complete description of such sequences is given in characteristic zero, with partial results in the other cases: There exists an \(F\in A_0\) which is transcendental over \(\mathbf{k}\) such that \(\bigcap_{i=0}^{\infty}A_i=\mathbf{k}[F]\). If all \(A_i\) have the same field of fractions or if \(\text{char }\mathbf{k}=0\), then \(F\) is a variable of \(A_i\) for all sufficiently large \(i\) (i.e., there exists a \(G_i\in A_i\) such that \(A_i=\mathbf{k}[F,G_i]\)). Then the authors answer several very natural questions about polynomial algebras in two variables. First, they consider a pair \(A\subseteq B\) of polynomial algebras in two variables and study the poset \({\mathcal R}(A,B)\) consisting of all algebras \(R\cong \mathbf{k}^{[2]}\) between \(A\) and \(B\). They show that \({\mathcal R}(A,B)\) satisfies the ascending and descending chain conditions. Then the authors consider pairs \((A,F)\) where \(A\cong \mathbf{k}^{[2]}\) and \(F\in A\backslash \mathbf{k}\) and establish similar results for the poset \({\mathcal U}(A,F)\) consisting of all \(R\cong \mathbf{k}^{[2]}\) such that \(F\in R\subseteq A\) and \(F\) is not univariate in \(R\) and for the poset \({\mathcal U}^{\ast}(A,F)\) of all \(R\in {\mathcal U}(A,F)\) with the same field of fractions as \(A\). The authors apply their results to the study of dominant morphisms of affine \(\mathbf{k}\)-spaces \({\mathbb A}^2\to{\mathbb A}^n\), \(n=1,2\), and their factorizations. (The morphism \(f:X\to Y\) of varieties is dominant if \(f(X)\) is Zariski-dense in \(Y\).) In particular, the authors show that the monomid of dominant morphisms \(\text{Dom}({\mathbb A}^2)\) is atomic (i.e., every non-invertible element is a finite composition of irreducible elements).