\documentclass{lecture} \begin{document} \section{Real closures} \begin{satz} Let $k$ be a real field. Then there exists a real-closed algebraic orderable extension $k^{r}$ of $k$. \label{satz:existence-alg-closure} \end{satz} \begin{proof} Let $\overline{k}$ be an algebraic closure of $k$ and $E$ be the set of intermediate extensions $k \subseteq L \subseteq \overline{k}$ such that $L$ is real and algebraic over $k$. $E \neq \emptyset$ since $k \in E$. Define $L_1 < L_2$ on $E$ if and only if $L_1 \subseteq L_2$ and $L_2 / L_1$ is ordered, i.e. the order relation on $L_1$ coincides with the on induced by $L_2$. Then every totally ordered familiy $(E_i)_{i \in I}$ has an upper bound, namely $\bigcup_{i \in I} E_i$. By Zorn, $E$ has a maximal element, which we denote by $k^{r}$ and which is an algebraic extension of $k$. Such a $k^{r}$ is real-closed, because otherwise it would admit a proper real algebraic extension contradicting the maximality of $k^{r}$ as a real algebraic extension of $k$. \end{proof} \begin{definition}[] A real-closed real algebraic extension of a real field $k$ is called a \emph{real closure} of $k$. \end{definition} \begin{bem} By the construction in the proof of \ref{satz:existence-alg-closure}, a real closure of a real field $k$ can be chosen as a subfield $k^{r}$ of an algebraic closure of $\overline{k}$. Since $k^{r}[i]$ is algebraically closed and algebraic over $k^{r}$, so also over $k$, it follows $k^{r}[i] = \overline{k}$. \end{bem} \begin{satz} Let $k$ be a real field and $L$ be a real-closed extension of $k$. Let $\overline{k}^{L}$ be the relative algebraic closure of $k$ in $L$, i.e. \[ \overline{k}^{L} = \{ x \in L \mid x \text{ algebraic over } k\} .\] Then $\overline{k}^{L}$ is a real closure of $k$. \end{satz} \begin{proof} It is immediate that $\overline{k}^{L}$ is a real algebraic extension of $k$. Let $x \in \overline{k}^{L}$. Then $x$ or $-x$ is a square in $L$, since $L$ is real-closed. Without loss of generality, assume that $x \in L^{[2]}$. Then $t^2 - x \in \overline{k}^{L}[t]$ has a root in $L$. Since this root is algebraic over $\overline{k}^{L}$, hence over $k$, it belongs to $\overline{k}^{L}$. Thus $x$ is in fact a square in $\overline{k}^{L}$. By the same argument every polynomial of odd degree has a root in $\overline{k}^{L}$. \end{proof} \begin{bsp}[] \begin{enumerate}[(i)] \item $\overline{\Q}^{\R} = \overline{\Q}^{\mathbb{C}} \cap \R$ is a real closure of $\Q$. In particular, $\overline{\Q}^{\mathbb{C}} = \overline{\Q}^{\R}[i]$ as subfields of $\mathbb{C}$. \item Consider the real field $k = \R(t)$ and the real-closed extension \begin{salign*} \widehat{\R(t)} = \bigcup_{q > 0} \R((t ^{t/q})) .\end{salign*} Then the subfield $\overline{\R(t)}^{\widehat{\R(t)}}$, consisting of all those real Puiseux series that are algebraic over $\R(t)$, is a real closure of $\R(t)$. The field of real Puiseux series itself is a real closure of the field $\R((t))$ of real formal Laurent series. \end{enumerate} \end{bsp} Real-closed fields $L$ admit a canonical structure of ordered field, where $x \ge 0$ in $L$, if and only if $x$ is a square. In particular, if $k$ is a real field and $k^{r}$ is a real closure of $k$, then $k$ inherits an ordering from $k^{r}$. However, different real closures may induce different orderings on $k$, as the next example shows. \begin{bsp}[] Let $k = \Q(t)$. This is a real field, since $\Q$ is real. Since $\pi$ is transcendental over $\Q$, we can embed $\Q(t)$ in $\R$ by sending $t$ to $\pi$. \[ i_1\colon \Q(t) \xhookrightarrow{\simeq} \Q(\pi) \subseteq \R .\] Since $\R$ is real-closed, the relative algebraic closure $i_1(\Q(t))^{\R}$ is a real closure of $i_1(\Q(t))$. We can also embed $\Q(t)$ in the field $\widehat{\R(t)}$ of real Puiseux series via a homomorphism $i_2$ and then $\overline{i_2(\Q(t))}^{\widehat{\R(t)}}$ is a real closure of $i_2(\Q(t))$. However, the ordering on $\overline{i_1(\Q(t))}^{\R}$ is Archimedean, because it is a subfield of $\R$, while the ordering on $\overline{i_2(\Q(t))}^{\widehat{\R(t)}}$ is not Archimedean (it contains infinitesimal elements, such as $t$ for instance). The fields $\overline{i_1(\Q(t))}^{\R}$ and $\overline{i_2(\Q(t))}^{\widehat{\R(t)}}$ cannot be isomorphic as fields. Indeed, when two real-closed fields $L_1, L_2$ are isomorphic as fields, then they are isomorphic as ordered fields, since positivity on a real closed field is defined by the condition of being a square, which is preserved under isomorphisms of fields. \end{bsp} The next result will be proved later on. \begin{lemma}[] Let $(k, \le )$ be an ordered field and $P \in k[t]$ be an irreducible polynomial. Let $L_1, L_2$ be real-closed extensions of $k$ that are compatible with the ordering of $k$. Then $P$ has the same number of roots in $L_1$ as in $L_2$. \end{lemma} \end{document}