Divisibility in the rings of continuous functions \(C(X,F)\) (Q677737)

Relations between different algebraic conditions on the ring \(C(X,F)\) of continuous functions on a topological space \(X\) with values in a topological division ring \(F\) are studied. It is proved that if \(F\) is a non discrete locally compact division ring, then for the ring \(C=C(X,F)\) the following conditions are equivalent: 1. \(C\) is a Bezout ring, i.e. each of its finitely generated right ideals is principal; 2. \(C\) is a GCD-ring, i.e. any two elements have a greatest common divisor; 3. \(C\) is a LCM-ring, i.e. any two elements have a least common multiple; 4. \(C\) is a weak Rickart ring, i. e. for arbitrary \(f,g\in C\) with \(fg=0\) there is \(e\in C\) such that \(fe=0\), \(ge=g\); 5. \(C\) is distributive, i.e. the lattice of all its right ideals is distributive; 6. all right ideals of \(C\) are absolutely convex; 7. \(X\) is an \(F\)-space for a connected \(F\) and \(X\) is an \(F_0\)-space, i.e. for any two disjoint \(\sigma\)-unions of clopen subsets \(A\) and \(B\) there exists a clopen subset \(D\) such that \(A\subset D\), \(D\cap B=\emptyset\). Some generalizations of these assertions to arbitrary normed division rings are given. It is given the following characterization of locally compact division rings in the class of normed division rings: \(F\) is locally compact \(\Leftrightarrow\) for a topological space \(X\) the ring \(C(X,F)\) is a Bezout ring if and only if it is a weak Rickart ring.