A positivstellensatz for chain-closed fields, \({\mathbb{R}}((t))\) and some related fields (Q802672)

The author develops an analogue to the Artin-Schreier positivstellensatz for the field \({\mathbb{R}}((t))\) and the chain closed fields introduced by Harman. These fields carry exactly two different orders. The author characterizes the rational fractions over these fields taking positive values where defined for one of its orders. In addition to sums of squares, other rational fractions turn out to be positive where defined. There are characterized also the rational fractions taking positive values for both orders. The proof is a combination of algebraic and model theoretic methods, in particular the concept of model-completeness and the Ax-Kochen-Ershov Theorem play a crucial role in the proof.