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Directed Unions of Local Quadratic Transforms of a Regular Local Ring

We consider the directed union S of an infinite sequence {(R_n, m_n)} of successive local quadratic transforms of a regular local ring (R, m). If dim R = 2, Abhyankar proves that S is a valuation ring. If dim R > 2, Shannon gives necessary and sufficient conditions for S to be a rank 1 valuation domain and Granja gives necessary and sufficient conditions that S be a rank 2 rational rank 2 valuation domain. Granja observes that these are the only cases where S is a valuation domain. If the sequence is along a rank 1 valuation ring V with valuation v, Granja, Martinez, and Rodriguez show that if the infinite sum of the values v(m_n) diverges, then S = V. We prove that this infinite sum is finite if V has rational rank at least 2. We present an example of a sequence whose union S is a rank 2 valuation domain, but whose value group is not Z^2. We also consider sequences of monomial local quadratic transforms and give necessary and sufficient conditions that the union be a rank 1 valuation domain. If it is, it has rational rank d. We string together finite sequences of monomial local quadratic transforms to construct examples where S is a rank 1 valuation domain with rational rank < d.