Combinatorics Seminar

Cutting the positive real numbers into disjoint sets closed under addition and multiplication

Gabor Somlai

Thursday, May 4th, 2023
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Hylan 1106A

Robert Freud asked whether the positive real numbers can be cut into two disjoint sets both closed under addition and multiplication. We will investigate the decompositions of the algebraic extensions of the rational numbers and then describe the 2-decompositions of transcendental extensions of degree 1 of the rational numbers.Using these results we answer the original question. The tools used are just a combination of elementary ideas from geometry, analysis and combinatorics.

Event contact: iosevich at gmail dot com