Search arXiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · math/0601671

A connectedness theorem for real spectra of polynomial rings

François Lucas·James Madden·Daniel Schaub·Mark Spivakovsky
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Let R be a real closed field. The Pierce-Birkhoff conjecture says that any piecewise polynomial function f on R^n can be obtained from the polynomial ring R[x_1,...,x_n] by iterating the operations of maximum and minimum. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, we state a new conjecture, called the Connectedness conjecture, which asserts the existence of connected sets in the real spectrum of R[x_1,...,x_n] satisfying certain conditions. We prove that the Connectedness conjecture implies the Pierce-Birkhoff conjecture. Secondly, we construct a class of connected sets in the real spectrum which, though not in itself enough for the proof of the Pierce-Birkhoff conjecture, is the first and simplest example of the sort of connected sets we really need, and which constitutes a crucial step on the way to a proof of the Pierce-Birkhoff conjecture in dimension greater than 2, to appear in a subsequent paper.

Explore related subjects

math.AG

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

François Lucas, James Madden, Daniel Schaub, Mark Spivakovsky. 2007-07-16. A connectedness theorem for real spectra of polynomial rings. https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0601671

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

Shrinking dynamic on multidimensional tropical series

Let $Ω\subset\mathbb R^n$ be a compact convex domain. An $Ω$-tropical series is a nonnegative, concave, integral-slope, piecewise-affine function on $Ω$ that vanishes on $\partialΩ$. For a finite set $P\subsetΩ^\circ$, we study the least such function above prescribed initial data whose corner locus contains $P$. It is obtained by repeatedly applying one-point shrinking operators $G_p$. We prove that every fair order of these operators stabilizes after finitely many nontrivial steps. We also describe an event-driven implementation that records the lowest monomials at each point and updates only affected watcher lists. Finally, we show that, on every compact subset of $Ω^\circ$, the resulting dynamics can be approximated by a finite path whose intermediate tropical hypersurfaces have only mild singularities on that compact set; equivalently, the corresponding local cells of the dual regular subdivision contain no lattice points other than their vertices.

math.AG↗
arXiv2026

A stacky $p$-adic Riemann--Hilbert correspondence on Hitchin-small locus

Let $C$ be an algebraically closed perfectoid field over $\mathbb{Q}_p$ with the ring of integer $\mathcal{O}_C$ and the infinitesimal thickening $\Ainf$. Let $\mathfrak X$ be a semi-stable formal scheme over $\mathcal{O}_C$ with a fixed flat lifting $\widetilde{\mathfrak X}$ over $\Ainf$. Let $X$ be the generic fiber of $\mathfrak{X}$ and $\widetilde X$ be its lifting over $\BdRp$ induced by $\widetilde{\mathfrak X}$. Let $\MIC_r(\widetilde X)^{{\rm H}\text{-small}}$ and $\rL\rS_r(X,\BBdRp)^{{\rm H}\text{-small}}$ be the $v$-stacks of rank-$r$ Hitchin-small integrable connections on $X_{\et}$ and $\BBdRp$-local systems on $X_{v}$, respectively. In this paper, we establish an equivalence between these two stacks by introducing a new period sheaf with connection $(\calO\bB_{\dR,\pd}^+,\rd)$ on $X_{v}$.

math.AG↗
arXiv2026

A refinement of the coherence conjecture of Pappas and Rapoport

The coherence conjecture of Pappas and Rapoport, proved by Zhu, asserts the equality of dimensions for the global sections of a line bundle over a spherical Schubert variety in the affine Grassmannian and those of another line bundle over a certain union of Schubert varieties in a partial affine flag variety. We refine this equality of dimensions to an isomorphism of representations. The comparison is established by introducing a parahoric Bruhat-Tits group scheme $\mathcal{G}$ over the affine line, ramified at 0. We further strengthen this comparison by equipping any line bundle on the global Schubert variety of $\mathcal{G}$ with a unique equivariant structure under the global jet group scheme. As an application, we obtain new relations among affine Demazure modules.

math.AG↗