real closed fields are o-miminal

It is clear that the axioms for a structure to be an ordered field can be written in $L$, the first order language of ordered rings. It is also true that the condition

for each odd degree polynomial $p\in K[x]$, $p$ has a root

can be written in a schema of first order sentences in this language.

Let $A$ be all these sentences together with one that states that all positive elements have a square root. Then one can show that the consequences of $A$ are a complete theory $T$. It is clear that this theory is the theory of the real numbers. We call any $L$ structure a real closed field (which can be defined purely algebraically also, see here (http://planetmath.org/RealClosed)).

The semi algebraic sets on a real closed field are Boolean combinations of solution sets of polynomial equalities and inequalities. Tarski showed that $T$ has quantifier elimination, which is equivalent to the class of semi algebraic sets being closed under projection.

Let $K$ be a real closed field. Consider the definable subsets of $K$. By quantifier elimination, each is definable by a quantifier free formula, i.e. a boolean combination of atomic formulas. An atomic formula in one variable has one of the following forms:

• $f(x)>g(x)$ for some $f,g\in K[x]$

• $f(x)=g(x)$ for some $f,g\in K[x]$.

The first defines a finite union of intervals, the second defines a finite union of points. Every definable subset of $K$ is a finite union of these kinds of sets, so is a finite union of intervals and points. Thus any real closed field is o-minimal.

Title	real closed fields are o-miminal
Canonical name	RealClosedFieldsAreOmiminal
Date of creation	2013-03-22 13:23:04
Last modified on	2013-03-22 13:23:04
Owner	mathcam (2727)
Last modified by	mathcam (2727)
Numerical id	8
Author	mathcam (2727)
Entry type	Example
Classification	msc 12D15
Classification	msc 14P10
Classification	msc 03C64
Classification	msc 12D99
Related topic	Theory