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Hartogs-type theorems in real algebraic geometry, I

Let f:X-->R be a function defined on a connected nonsingular real algebraic set X in R^n. We prove that regularity of f can be detected on either algebraic curves or surfaces in X. If dimX>1 and k is a positive integer, then f is a regular function whenever the restriction f|C is a regular function for every algebraic curve C in X that is a C^k submanifold homeomorphic to the unit circle and is either nonsingular or has precisely one singularity. Moreover, in the latter case, the singularity of C is equivalent to the plane curve singularity defined by the equation x^p=y^q for some primes p<q. If dimX>2, then f is a regular function whenever the restriction f|S is a regular function for every nonsingular algebraic surface S in X that is homeomorphic to the unit 2-sphere. We also have suitable versions of these results for X not necessarily connected.