The_p-rspectrum of a commutative ring (Q4033151)

Let \(K\) be a field. \(K\) is called formally real if \(-1\) is not a sum of squares in \(K\). A theorem of Artin and Schreier asserts that \(K\) is formally real if and only if it can be ordered. Moreover, \(K\) is real closed if and only if it is formally real and no proper algebraic extension of \(K\) is formally real. -- Let now \(p\) be a fixed prime number. Denote, for \(n\) natural number, by \(\sum K^{2n}\) the additive semigroup of \(K\) generated by \(x^{2n}\), \(x \in K\). \(K\) is called \(p\)- real if it is formal real and \(\sum K^ 2 \neq \sum K^{2p}\). There exists a characterization of \(p\)-real fields, similar to the theorem of Artin-Schreier, in terms of ``orderings of higher level'' [see \textit{E. Becker}, J. Reine Angew. Math. 307/308, 8-30 (1979; Zbl 0398.12012)]. A \(p\)-real field \(K\) is called \(p\)-real closed if \(\sum K^ 2\subseteq\sum L^{2p}\) for every proper algebraic extension \(L\) of \(K\). The aim of this paper is to construct, for every commutative ring \(A\), a spectral space (i.e., a topological space homeomorphic to the Zariski- spectrum of some commutative ring) \(p\text{-Sper}A\), called the \(p\)-real spectrum of \(A\), which is related to the class of \(p\)-real closed fields in the same manner as the Zariski spectrum \(\text{Spec}A\) (resp., the real spectrum \(\text{Sper}A)\) to the class of algebraically (resp., real) closed fields. The author also studies the topology of \(p\)-Sper\(A\) and the connection of \(p\)-Sper\(A\) with Spec\(A\) and Sper\(A\). In a final section, he considers a morphism of finite presentation \(f:A\to B\), the corresponding map \(f_*:p\text{-Sper}B \to p\text{-Sper}A\) and characterizes the images of the constructible subsets of \(p\text{-Sper}B\) under this map. In contrast to the case of the real spectrum, these images need no longer be constructible. The proofs are based on some model theoretical results, contained in the 2nd section of the paper, where the author shows that the theory of \(p\)- real closed fields is complete, decidable and admits elimination of quantifiers in an appropriate language.