arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Gunnar Wilken.
We generalize Goodstein's theorem (Goodstein 1944) and Cichon's independence proof (Cichon 1983) to $Π^1_1-\mathrm{CA}_0$ using results from (Wilken 2026). The method is generalizable to stronger notation systems that provide unique terms for ordinals and enjoy Bachmann property, also abstractly via the uniform concept of maximality quotients.
Building on Buchholz' assignment for ordinals below Bachmann-Howard ordinal, see Buchholz 2003, we introduce systems of fundamental sequences for two kinds of relativized $\vartheta$-function-based notation systems of strength $Π^1_1{\operatorname{-CA}_0}$ and prove Bachmann property for these systems, which is essential for monotonicity properties of subrecursive hierarchies defined on the basis of fundamental sequences. The central notion of our construction is the notion of localization, which was introduced in Wilken 2007. The first kind of stepwise defined $\vartheta$-functions over ordinal addition as basic function fits the framework of the ordinal arithmetical toolkit developed in Wilken 2007, whereas the second kind of $\vartheta$-functions is defined simultaneously and will allow for further generalization to larger proof-theoretic ordinals, see Weiermann and Wilken 2011. The systems of fundamental sequences given here enable the investigation of fundamental sequences and independence phenomena also in the context of patterns of resemblance, an approach to ordinal notations that is both semantic and combinatorial and was first introduced by Carlson 2001 and further analyzed in Wilken 2006, 2007, and Carlson and Wilken 2012. Our exposition is put into the context of the abstract approach to fundamental sequences developed by Buchholz, Cichon, and Weiermann 1994. The results of this paper will be applied to the theory of Goodstein sequences, extending results of Fernàndez-Duque and Weiermann 2024.
We display the entire structure ${\cal R}_2$ coding $Σ_1$- and $Σ_2$-elementarity on the ordinals. This will enable the analysis of pure $Σ_3$-elementary substructures.
We provide mutual elementary recursive order isomorphisms between classical ordinal notations, based on Skolem hulling, and notations from pure elementary patterns of resemblance of order $2$, showing that the latter characterize the proof-theoretic ordinal of the fragment $Π^1_1$-$\mathrm{CA}_0$ of second order number theory, or equivalently the set theory $\mathrm{KPl}_0$. As a corollary, we prove that Carlson's result on the well-quasi orderedness of respecting forests of order $2$ implies transfinite induction up to the ordinal of $\mathrm{KPl}_0$. We expect that our approach will facilitate analysis of more powerful systems of patterns.
The structure ${\cal C}_2:=(1^\infty,\le,\le_1,\le_2)$, introduced and first analyzed in Carlson and Wilken 2012 (APAL), is shown to be elementary recursive. Here, $1^\infty$ denotes the proof-theoretic ordinal of the fragment $Π^1_1$-$\mathrm{CA}_0$ of second order number theory, or equivalently the set theory $\mathrm{KPl}_0$, which axiomatizes limits of models of Kripke-Platek set theory with infinity. The partial orderings $\le_1$ and $\le_2$ denote the relations of $Σ_1$- and $Σ_2$-elementary substructure, respectively. In a subsequent article we will show that the structure ${\cal C}_2$ comprises the core of the structure ${\cal R}_2$ of pure elementary patterns of resemblance of order $2$. In Carlson and Wilken 2012 (APAL) the stage has been set by showing that the least ordinal containing a cover of each pure pattern of order $2$ is $1^\infty$. However, it is not obvious from Carlson and Wilken 2012 (APAL) that ${\cal C}_2$ is an elementary recursive structure. This is shown here through a considerable disentanglement in the description of connectivity components of $\le_1$ and $\le_2$. The key to and starting point of our analysis is the apparatus of ordinal arithmetic developed in Wilken 2007 (APAL) and in Section 5 of Carlson and Wilken 2012 (JSL), which was enhanced in Carlson and Wilken 2012 (APAL) specifically for the analysis of ${\cal C}_2$.
Let T be Goedel's system of primitive recursive functionals of finite type in the lambda formulation. We define by constructive means using recursion on nested multisets a multivalued function I from the set of terms of T into the set of natural numbers such that if a term a reduces to a term b and if a natural number I(a) is assigned to a then a natural number I(b) can be assigned to b such that I(a) is greater than I(b). The construction of I is based on Howard's 1970 ordinal assignment for T and Weiermann's 1996 treatment of T in the combinatory logic version. As a corollary we obtain an optimal derivation length classification for the lambda formulation of T and its fragments. Compared with Weiermann's 1996 exposition this article yields solutions to several non-trivial problems arising from dealing with lambda terms instead of combinatory logic terms. It is expected that the methods developed here can be applied to other higher order rewrite systems resulting in new powerful termination orderings since T is a paradigm for such systems.