Sums of units in function fields (Q639948)

Let \(R\) be a ring (with identity). An element \(r\) is called \(k\)-good if \(r=e_1+\cdots+e_k\), with \(e_1, \ldots, e_k \in R^*\). If every element of \(R\) is \(k\)-good we call also the ring \(k\)-good. The unit sum number \(u(R)\) is defined as \(\min\{k : R \text{ is } k\text{-good}\}\). If the minimum does not exist but the units generate \(R\) additively we set \(u(R)=\omega\). If the units do not generate \(R\) we set \(u(R)=\infty\). In this paper the author considers the unit sum number for function fields. Let \(K\) be a perfect field and \(F/K\) an extension of transcendence degree \(1\), \(S\) a finite set of places of \(F/K\) and \(\mathcal O_S\) the ring of \(S\)-integers, then the author proves various results for \(u(\mathcal O_S)\). The first main result generalizes a theorem due to \textit{M. Jarden} and \textit{W. Narkiewicz} [Monatsh. Math. 150, No. 4, 327--332 (2007; Zbl 1121.12002)]. In particular the author proves that in any case we have \(u(\mathcal O_S)\geq \omega\). The second main result gives a characterization for all quadratic extensions \(F/K(x)\) with \(u(\mathcal O)=\omega\), where \(\mathcal O\) is the integral closure of \(K[x]\) in \(F\).