Let k be a real closed field (see § 2 for a definition). Let be an algebraic closure of k. An algebraic set denned over k is, as usual, a subset of (n some integer greater than 0) which is the set of zeros of some polynomials in k[X1, . . . , Xn]. A variety is denned to be an absolutely irreducible algebraic set. We define the real points of an algebraic set X to be the points in X ∩ kn. One can then define X to be real if I(X ∩ kn) = I(X). (I(X) = the polynomials in k[X1, . . . , Xn] which vanish on X.)