Symmetrically complete ordered sets abelian groups and fields. (Q891080)

A cut with nonempty classes in a linearly ordered set \(I\) is said to be symmetric if the cofinality of its lower set and the coinitiality of its upper set are equal. \(I\) is symmetrically complete if in every symmetric cut \((D,E)\) of \(I\) either \(D\) has a maximal element or \(E\) has a minimal element. This definition generalizes that given for fields in the third author's paper [\textit{S. Shelah}, Isr. J. Math. 142, 261-272 (2004; Zbl 1054.12003)]. Proposition 3 of the paper under review asserts that \(I\) is symmetrically complete if and only if every nonempty chain of nonempty closed bounded intervals in \(I\) has a nonempty intersection; therefore, the concept of symmetrical completeness is related to that of spherically completeness exploited by the first two authors [in Forum Math. 27, No. 1, 303-327 (2015; Zbl 1305.54050); erratum ibid. 27, No. 1, 329-330 (2015)]. After an analysis of cuts in ordered abelian groups, the authors of the paper under review characterize the symmetrically complete ordered abelian groups and fields. They also give new constructions of symmetrically complete linearly ordered sets and symmetrically complete extensions for ordered abelian groups and fields. Reviewer's remark: Another concept of symmetric cut has been developed by \textit{G. G. Pestov} [see, e.g., Sib. Mat. Zh. 42, No. 6, 1350-1360 (2001; Zbl 0998.12011); translation in Sib. Math. J. 42, No. 6, 1123-1131 (2001)].