Algebras with a negation map

Abstract: Our objective in this project is three-fold, the first two covered in this paper. In tropical mathematics, as well as other mathematical theories involving semirings, when trying to formulate the tropical versions of classical algebraic concepts for which the negative is a crucial ingredient, such as determinants, Grassmann algebras, Lie algebras, Lie superalgebras, and Poisson algebras, one often is challenged by the lack of negation. Following an idea originating in work of Gaubert and the Max-Plus group and brought to fruition by Akian, Gaubert, and Guterman, we study algebraic structures with negation maps, called \textbf{systems}, in the context of universal algebra, showing how these unify the more viable (super)tropical versions, as well as hypergroup theory and fuzzy rings, thereby "explaining" similarities in their theories. Special attention is paid to \textbf{meta-tangible} $\mathcal T$-systems, whose algebraic theory includes all the main tropical examples and many others, but is rich enough to facilitate computations and provide a host of structural results. Basic results also are obtained in linear algebra, linking determinants to linear independence. Formulating the structure categorically enables us to view the tropicalization functor as a morphism, thereby further explaining the mysterious link between classical algebraic results and their tropical analogs, as well as with hyperfields. We utilize the tropicalization functor to propose tropical analogs of classical algebraic notions. The systems studied here might be called "fundamental," since they are the underlying structure which can be studied via other "module" systems, which is to be the third stage of this project, involving a theory of sheaves and schemes and derived categories with a negation map.