Valuations and convex subrings of a commutative ring with higher level preordering (Q5947785)

The notion of ordering of higher level was first introduced and studied by \textit{E. Becker} [Hereditarily Pythagorean fields and orderings of higher level. Monogr. Mat. 29 (1978; Zbl 0509.12020)] for fields. In this theory, the role played by sums of squares in a field is replaced by that of sums of powers of higher degree, and E. Becker has obtained a successful generalization of Artin-Schreier theory. Later the theory was extended to rings [\textit{S. M. Barton}, Can. J. Math. 44, No. 3, 449-462 (1992; Zbl 0766.13005); \textit{E. Becker} and \textit{D. Gondard}, Manuscr. Math. 65, No. 1, 63-82 (1989; Zbl 0689.12016); and \textit{M. Marshall} and \textit{V. Powers}, Commun. Algebra 21, No. 11, 4083-4102 (1993; Zbl 0794.11020)]. This paper investigates general valuations and convex subrings of a commutative ring with an identity element and with a higher level preordering. The paper involves arbitrary valuations, called paravaluations by \textit{J. A. Huckaba} in [Commutative rings with zero divisors. Marcel Dekker (1988; Zbl 0637.13001)], instead of Manis valuations. It is shown that the convex subrings are exactly valuation subrings ``compatible'' with some ordering. The author also gives the description of the elements in the convex hull of subrings with respect to a given preordering. The article studies first convex subrings and then describes carefully orderings of exact level \(n\) in \(\mathbb{Q} (X)\). The important part 3 is devoted to compatible valuations and the last one to the description of elements in convex subrings. All proofs are included and detailed.