Let K be a real function field over a real closed field F. Then there exists an F-place .phi.:K.rarw.F.cup.{.inf.}. This is Lang's Existence of Rational Place Theorem (6). There is an equivalent version of Lang's Theorem in (4). That is, if K is a function field over a field F, then, for any ordering P$_{0}$ on F which extends to K, there exists an F-place .phi.: K.rarw.F'.cup.{.inf.} where F' is a real closure of (F, P$_{0}$). In [2], Knebusch pointed out the converse of the version of Lang's Theorem is also true. By a valuation theoretic approach to Lang's Theorem, we have found out the following generalization of Lang and Knebusch's Theorem. Let K be an arbitrary extension field of a field F. then an ordering P$_{0}$ on F can be extended to an ordering P on K if there exists an F-place of K into some real closed field R containing F. Of course R$^{2}$.cap.F=P$_{0}$. The restriction K being a function field of F is vanished, though the codomain of the F-place is slightly varied. Therefore our theorem is a generalization of Lang and Knebusch's theorem.

One of the most important problems in automatic continuity theory is to solve the question of continuity of an algebra homomorphism from a Banach algebra into a semisimple Banach algebra with dense range. Many results on this subject are obtained imposing some conditions on the domains or the ranges of homomorphisms. For most recent results and references in automatic continuity theory one may refer to [1], [4] and [5]. In this note we study some properties of homomorphisms from $C^{*}$-algebras into Banach algebras. It is shown that the range of an isomorphism from a $C^{*}$-algebra into a Banach algebra contains no non zero element of the radical of B. Using this result we show that the same holds for a continuous homomorphism, hence a Banach algebra which is the image of a $C^{*}$-algebra under a continuous homomorphism is necessarily semisimple. Thus if there is a homomorphism from a $C^{*}$-algebra onto a non-semisimple Banach algebra it must be discontinuous. Also it follows that every non zero homomorphism from a $C^{*}$-algebra into a radical algebra is discontinuous. Then we make a brief observation on the behavior of quasinilpotent element of noncommutative $C^{*}$-algebras in relation with continuous homomorphisms.momorphisms.

In [1], E.B. Lee and L. Markus described a sufficient condition for which the domain of null-controllability of a linear autonomous system is all of R$^{n}$ . The purpose of this note is to extend the result to a certain linear nonautonomous system. Thus we consider a linear control system dx/dt = A(t)x+B(t)u in the Eculidean n-space R$^{n}$ where A(t) and B(t) are n*n and n*m matrices, respectively, which are continuous on 0.leq.t<.inf. and A(t) is a periodic matrix of period .omega.. Admissible controls are bounded measurable functions defined on some finite subintervals of [0, .inf.) having values in a certain convex set .ohm. in R$^{m}$ with the origin in its interior. And we present a sufficient condition for which the domain of null-controllability is all of R$^{n}$ .

Let R be a commutative noetherian ring with 1.neq.0, denoting by .nu.(I) the cardinality of a minimal basis of the ideal I. Let A be a polynomial ring in n>0 variables with coefficients in R, and let M be a maximal ideal of A. Generally it is shown that .nu.(M $A_{M}$).leq..nu.(M).leq..nu.(M $A_{M}$)+1. It is well known that the lower bound is not always satisfied, and the most classical examples occur in nonfactional Dedekind domains. But in many cases, (e.g., A is a polynomial ring whose coefficient ring is a field) the lower bound is attained. In [2] and [3], the conditions when the lower bound is satisfied is investigated. Especially in [3], it is shown that .nu.(M)=.nu.(M $A_{M}$) if M.cap.R=p is a maximal ideal or $A_{M}$ (equivalently $R_{p}$) is not regular or n>1. Hence the problem of determining whether .nu.(M)=.nu.(M $A_{M}$) can be studied when p is not maximal, $A_{M}$ is regular and n=1. The purpose of this note is to provide some conditions in which the lower bound is satisfied, when n=1 and R is a regular local ring (hence $A_{M}$ is regular)./ is regular).

D.K. Harrison [5] has shown that if R and S are fields of characteristic different from 2, then two Witt rings W(R) and W(S) are isomorphic if and only if W(R)/I(R)$^{3}$ and W(S)/I(S)$^{3}$ are isomorphic where I(R) and I(S) denote the fundamental ideals of W(R) and W(S) respectively. In [1], J.K. Arason and A. Pfister proved a corresponding result when the characteristics of R and S are 2, and, in [9], K.I. Mandelberg proved the result when R and S are commutative semi-local rings having 2 a unit. In this paper, we prove the result when R and S are 2-fold full rings. Throughout this paper, unless otherwise specified, we assume that R is a commutative ring having 2 a unit. A quadratic space (V, B, .phi.) over R is a finitely generated projective R-module V with a symmetric bilinear mapping B: V*V.rarw.R which is nondegenerate (i.e., the natural mapping V.rarw.Ho $m_{R}$ (V, R) induced by B is an isomorphism), and with a quadratic mapping .phi.:V.rarw.R such that B(x,y)=(.phi.(x+y)-.phi.(x)-.phi.(y))/2 and .phi.(rx)= $r^{2}$.phi.(x) for all x, y in V and r in R. We denote the group of multiplicative units of R by U(R). If (V, B, .phi.) is a free rank n quadratic space over R with an orthogonal basis { $x_{1}$, .., $x_{n}$}, we will write < $a_{1}$,.., $a_{n}$> for (V, B, .phi.) where the $a_{i}$=.phi.( $x_{i}$) are in U(R), and denote the space by the table [ $a_{ij}$ ] where $a_{ij}$ =B( $x_{i}$, $x_{j}$). In the case n=2 and B( $x_{1}$, $x_{2}$)=1/2, we reserve the notation [ $a_{11}$, $a_{22}$] for the space.the space.e.e.e.