On a class of preorderings of higher level (Q792387)

A complete preordering of higher level on a field K is a subset P of K such hat \(P+P\subset P,\quad P\cdot P\subset P,\) 0,1\(\in P\), -1\(\not\in P\), \(P^{\times}=P\backslash \{0\}\) is a multiplivative subgroup of \(K^{\times}\), \(a^ 2\in P^{\times}\) implies either \(a\in P\) or - \(a\in P\), and \(K^ n\subset P\) for some positive \(n\in {\mathbb{N}}\). (If \(K^ n\subset P\), then P is said to be of level n.) If in addition \(K^{\times}/P^{\times}\) is a cyclic group, P is called a complete ordering of higher level [cf. \textit{E. Becker,} Commun. Algebra 7, 1933- 1976 (1979; Zbl 0432.12011)]. Becker has shown that every complete preordering of higher level can be constructed using a certain valuation v of K with an Archimedean order on its residue field. More generally, one may use a certain complete preordering of higher level also in the residue field of v. The author concentrates on the case where, for a certain element \(t\in K\), the value v(t) is minimal positive. The resulting complete preorderings of higher levels are than called t- preorderings. The author gives an operator-theoretic characterization of t-preorderings; he studies the space \(X_ n\) of t-preorderings of level n and the intersection \(J_ n\) of all t-preorderings from \(X_ n\). After developing an extension theory for t-preorderings, the author studies systems (K,P), where P is a t-preordering on K such that there is no proper algebraic extension of K to which P also extends. In that case (K,P) is said to be algebraically maximal. For t-orderings P, the author gives a valuation-theoretic characterization of algebraically maximal systems (K,P).