Parametrizations of subsets of the space of valuations (Q6582335)

Let \((K,v)\) be a valued field, and let \(\mathbb{V}\) be the space of classes of all valuations on the polynomial ring \(K[x]\) extending \(v\). A fundamental problem in the theory of valued fields is to describe and classify all elements of \(\mathbb{V}\); to this end, a few different approaches have been introduced and studied. The paper under review considers two of these approaches, namely pseudo-Cauchy sequences and approximation types, and construct ways to parametrize the elements of \(\mathbb{V}\) by these constructions.\N\NLet \(\Gamma\) be the value group of \(v\). One of the main ideas of the paper is to construct a totally ordered group \(\Lambda_\infty\) such that every class of valuation in \(\mathbb{V}\) admits a representative in the set \(\mathcal{V}\) of extensions whose value group is contained in \(\Lambda_\infty\). By construction, \(\mathcal{V}\) admits a partial order, and thus it makes sense to consider the limit of a totally ordered subset of \(\mathcal{V}\).\N\NThe authors then consider the set \(\mathbb{S}\) of all pseudo-Cauchy sequences \(\underline{a}=\{a_i\}_{i\in I}\); however, in order to describe all valuations, they slightly generalize their definition by allowing any well-ordered set with at least two elements to be the index set; in particular, \(I\) is allowed to be finite and to have a maximum. By using the properties of pseudo-Cauchy sequences, they construct a map \(\Phi:\mathbb{S}\longrightarrow\mathbb{V}\) which is defined in a different way according to whether \(\underline{a}\) is of algebraic type, of transcendental type or \(I\) has a maximum; in particular, the definition in the transcendental case is carried out by considering the limit of a family of monomial valuations obtained from \(\underline{a}\). They show that \(\Phi\) is surjective when \(K\) is algebraically closed.\N\NThey next consider the set \(\mathbb{A}\) of all approximation types; however, the usual definition is modified to consider only closed balls, instead of both open and closed balls. They construct a surjective map \(\iota:\mathbb{S}\longrightarrow\mathbb{A}\); this also gives a composition \(\Psi=\Phi\circ\iota:\mathbb{A}\longrightarrow\mathbb{V}\) that is always injective, and is surjective when \(K\) is algebraically closed.