arXiv subjects

Joan Bagaria

Publications and source records attributed to Joan Bagaria.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Large cardinals, structural reflection, and the HOD Conjecture

We introduce exacting cardinals and a strengthening of these, ultraexacting cardinals. These are natural large cardinals defined equivalently as weak forms of rank-Berkeley cardinals, strong forms of Jónsson cardinals, or in terms of principles of structural reflection. However, they challenge commonly held intuition on strong axioms of infinity. We prove that ultraexacting cardinals are consistent with Zermelo-Fraenkel Set Theory with the Axiom of Choice (ZFC) relative to the existence of an I0 embedding. However, the existence of an ultraexacting cardinal below a measurable cardinal implies the consistency of ZFC with a proper class of I0 embeddings, thus challenging the linear--incremental picture of the large cardinal hierarchy. We show that the existence of an exacting cardinal implies that V is not equal to HOD (Gödel's universe of Hereditarily Ordinal Definable sets), showing that these cardinals surpass the current hierarchy of large cardinals consistent with ZFC. Moreover, we prove that the existence of an exacting cardinal above an extendible cardinal implies the "V is far from HOD" alternative of Woodin's HOD Dichotomy. In particular, it follows that the consistency of ZFC with an exacting cardinal above an extendible cardinal would refute Woodin's HOD Conjecture and Ultimate-L Conjecture. Finally, we show that the consistency of ZF with certain large cardinals beyond choice implies the consistency of ZFC with the existence of an exacting cardinal above an extendible cardinal.

math.LO↗

arXiv2025

Large cardinals beyond HOD

Exacting and ultraexacting cardinals are large cardinal numbers compatible with the Zermelo-Fraenkel axioms of set theory, including the Axiom of Choice. In contrast with standard large cardinal notions, their existence implies that the set-theoretic universe V is not equal to Gödel's subuniverse of Hereditarily Ordinal Definable (HOD) sets. We prove that the existence of an ultraexacting cardinal is equiconsistent with the well-known axiom I0; moreover, the existence of ultraexacting cardinals together with other standard large cardinals is equiconsistent with generalizations of I0 for fine-structural models of set theory extending $L(V_{λ+1})$. We prove tight bounds on the strength of exacting cardinals, placing them strictly between the axioms I3 and I2. The argument extends to show that I2 implies the consistency of Vopěnka's Principle together with an exacting cardinal and the HOD Hypothesis. In particular, we obtain the following result: the existence of an extendible cardinal above an exacting cardinal does not refute the HOD Hypothesis. We also give several new characterizations of exacting and ultraexacting cardinals; first in terms of strengthenings of the axioms I3 and I1 with the addition of Ordinal Definable predicates, and finally also in terms of principles of Structural Reflection which characterize exacting and ultraexacting cardinals as natural two-cardinal forms of strong unfoldability.

math.LO↗

arXiv2023

Huge Reflection

We study Structural Reflection beyond Vopěnka's Principle, at the level of almost-huge cardinals and higher, up to rank-into-rank embeddings. We identify and classify new large cardinal notions in that region that correspond to some form of what we call Exact Structural Reflection ($\mathrm{ESR}$). Namely, given cardinals $κ<λ$ and a class $\mathcal{C}$ of structures of the same type, the corresponding instance of $\mathrm{ESR}$ asserts that for every structure $A$ in $\mathcal{C}$ of rank $λ$, there is a structure $B$ in $\mathcal{C}$ of rank $κ$ and an elementary embedding of $B$ into $A$. Inspired by the statement of Chang's Conjecture, we also introduce and study sequential forms of $\mathrm{ESR}$, which, in the case of sequences of length $ω$, turn out to be very strong. Indeed, when restricted to $Π_1$-definable classes of structures they follow from the existence of $I1$-embeddings, while for more complicated classes of structures, e.g., $Σ_2$, they are not known to be consistent. Thus, these principles unveil a new class of large cardinals that go beyond $I1$-embeddings, yet they may not fall into Kunen's Inconsistency.

math.LO↗

arXiv2023

Patterns of Structural Reflection in the large-cardinal hierarchy

We unveil new patterns of Structural Reflection in the large-cardinal hierarchy below the first measurable cardinal. Namely, we give two different characterizations of strongly unfoldable and subtle cardinals in terms of a weak form of the principle of Structural Reflection, and also in terms of weak product structural reflection. Our analysis prompts the introduction of the new notion of $C^{(n)}$-strongly unfoldable cardinal for every natural number $n$, and we show that these cardinals form a natural hierarchy between strong unfoldable and subtle cardinals analogous to the known hierarchies of $C^{(n)}$-extendible and $Σ_n$-strong cardinals. These results show that the relatively low region of the large-cardinal hierarchy comprised between the first strongly unfoldable and the first subtle cardinals is completely analogous to the much higher region between the first strong and the first Woodin cardinals, and also to the much further upper region of the hierarchy ranging between the first supercompact and the first Vopěnka cardinals.

math.LO↗

arXiv2023

Intrinsic Justification for Large Cardinals and Structural Reflection

We deal with the complex issue of whether large cardinals are intrinsically justified principles of set theory (we call this the Intrinsicness Issue). In order to do this, we review, in a systematic fashion, (1.) the abstract principles that have been formulated to motivate them, as well as (2.) their mathematical expressions, and assess the justifiability of both on the grounds of the (iterative) concept of set. A parallel, but closely linked, issue is whether there exist mathematical principles able to yield all known large cardinals (we call this the Universality Issue), and we also test principles for their responses to this issue. Finally, we discuss the first author's Structural Reflection Principles (SRPs), and their response to Intrinsicness and Universality. We conclude the paper with some considerations on the global justifiability of SRPs, and on alternative construals of the concept of set also potentially able to intrinsically justify large cardinals.

math.LO↗

arXiv2021

Steel's Programme: Evidential Framework, the Core and Ultimate-L

We address Steel's Programme to identify a 'preferred' universe of set theory and the best axioms extending ZFC by using his multiverse axioms MV and the 'core hypothesis'. In the first part, we examine the evidential framework for MV, in particular the use of large cardinals and of 'worlds' obtained through forcing to 'represent' alternative extensions of ZFC. In the second part, we address the existence and the possible features of the core of MV_T (where T is ZFC+Large Cardinals). In the last part, we discuss the hypothesis that the core is Ultimate-L, and examine whether and how, based on this fact, the Core Universist can justify V=Ultimate-L as the best (and ultimate) extension of ZFC. To this end, we take into account several strategies, and assess their prospects in the light of MV's evidential framework.

math.LO↗

arXiv2021

Large cardinals as principles of Structural Reflection

After discussing the limitations inherent to all set-theoretic reflection principles akin to those studied by A. Lévy et. al. in the 1960's, we introduce new principles of reflection based on the general notion of \emph{Structural Reflection} and argue that they are in strong agreement with the conception of reflection implicit in Cantor's original idea of the unknowability of the \emph{Absolute}, which was subsequently developed in the works of Ackermann, Lévy, Gödel, Reinhardt, and others. We then present a comprehensive survey of results showing that different forms of the new principles of Structural Reflection are equivalent to well-known large cardinals axioms covering all regions of the large-cardinal hierarchy, thereby justifying the naturalness of the latter.

math.LO↗

arXiv2020

The Weak Vopěnka Principle for definable classes of structures

We give a level-by-level analysis of the Weak Vopěnka Principle for definable classes of relational structures (WVP), in accordance with the complexity of their definition, and we determine the large-cardinal strength of each level. Thus, in particular we show that WVP for $Σ_2$-definable classes is equivalent to the existence of a strong cardinal. The main theorem shows, more generally, that WVP for $Σ_n$-definable classes is equivalent to the existence of a $Σ_n$-strong cardinal. Hence, WVP is equivalent to the existence of a $Σ_n$-strong cardinal, all $n <ω$.

math.LO↗

arXiv2019

Adding a random real number and its effect on Martin's axiom

We show that adding a random real number destroys a large fragment of Martin's axiom, namely Martin's axiom for partial orders that have precalibre-$\aleph_1$, thus answering an old question of J. Roitman [9]. We also answer a question of J. Steprans and S. Watson [13] by showing that, by a forcing that preserves cardinals, one can destroy the precalibre-$\aleph_1$ property of a partial ordering while preserving its ccc-ness.

math.LO↗

arXiv2019

$C^{(n)}$-Cardinals

For each natural number $n$, let $C^{(n)}$ be the closed and unbounded proper class of ordinals $α$ such that $V_α$ is a $Σ_n$ elementary substructure of $V$. We say that $κ$ is a \emph{$C^{(n)}$-cardinal} if it is the critical point of an elementary embedding $j:V\to M$, $M$ transitive, with $j(κ)$ in $C^{(n)}$. By analyzing the notion of $C^{(n)}$-cardinal at various levels of the usual hierarchy of large cardinal principles we show that, starting at the level of superstrong cardinals and up to the level of rank-into-rank embeddings, $C^{(n)}$-cardinals form a much finer hierarchy. The naturalness of the notion of $C^{(n)}$-cardinal is exemplified by showing that the existence of $C^{(n)}$-extendible cardinals is equivalent to simple reflection principles for classes of structures, which generalize the notions of supercompact and extendible cardinals. Moreover, building on results of \cite{BCMR}, we give new characterizations of Vopeňka's Principle in terms of $C^{(n)}$-extendible cardinals.

math.LO↗

arXiv2015

On partial orderings having precalibre-$\aleph_1$ and fragments of Martin's axiom

We define a countable antichain condition (ccc) property for partial orderings, weaker than precalibre-$\aleph_1$, and show that Martin's axiom restricted to the class of partial orderings that have the property does not imply Martin's axiom for $σ$-linked partial orderings. This answers an old question of the first author about the relative strength of Martin's axiom for $σ$-centered partial orderings together with the assertion that every Aronszajn tree is special. We also answer a question of J. Steprans and S. Watson (1988) by showing that, by a forcing that preserves cardinals, one can destroy the precalibre-$\aleph_1$ property of a partial ordering while preserving its ccc-ness.

math.LO↗

arXiv2014

Superstrong and other large cardinals are never Laver indestructible

Superstrong cardinals are never Laver indestructible. Similarly, almost huge cardinals, huge cardinals, superhuge cardinals, rank-into-rank cardinals, extendible cardinals, 1-extendible cardinals, 0-extendible cardinals, weakly superstrong cardinals, uplifting cardinals, pseudo-uplifting cardinals, superstrongly unfoldable cardinals, Σ_n-reflecting cardinals, Σ_n-correct cardinals and Σ_n-extendible cardinals (all for n>2) are never Laver indestructible. In fact, all these large cardinal properties are superdestructible: if κ exhibits any of them, with corresponding target θ, then in any forcing extension arising from nontrivial strategically <κ-closed forcing Q in V_θ, the cardinal κ will exhibit none of the large cardinal properties with target θ or larger.

math.LO↗

arXiv2012

Definable orthogonality classes in accessible categories are small

We lower substantially the strength of the assumptions needed for the validity of certain results in category theory and homotopy theory which were known to follow from Vopenka's principle. We prove that the necessary large-cardinal hypotheses depend on the complexity of the formulas defining the given classes, in the sense of the Levy hierarchy. For example, the statement that, for a class S of morphisms in a locally presentable category C of structures, the orthogonal class of objects is a small-orthogonality class (hence reflective) is provable in ZFC if S is Σ_1, while it follows from the existence of a proper class of supercompact cardinals if S is Σ_2, and from the existence of a proper class of what we call C(n)-extendible cardinals if S is Σ_{n+2} for n bigger than or equal to 1. These cardinals form a new hierarchy, and we show that Vopenka's principle is equivalent to the existence of C(n)-extendible cardinals for all n. As a consequence, we prove that the existence of cohomological localizations of simplicial sets, a long-standing open problem in algebraic topology, is implied by the existence of arbitrarily large supercompact cardinals. This result follows from the fact that cohomology equivalences are Σ_2. In contrast with this fact, homology equivalences are Σ_1, from which it follows (as is well known) that the existence of homological localizations is provable in ZFC.

math.CT↗

arXiv2012

On colimits and elementary embeddings

We give a sharper version of a theorem of Rosicky, Trnkova and Adamek, and a new proof of a theorem of Rosicky, both about colimit preservation between categories of structures. Unlike the original proofs, which use category-theoretic methods, we use set-theoretic arguments involving elementary embeddings given by large cardinals such as alpha-strongly compact and C^(n)-extendible cardinals.

math.LO↗

arXiv2007

Epireflections and supercompact cardinals

We prove that, under suitable assumptions on a category C, the existence of supercompact cardinals implies that every absolute epireflective class of objects of C is a small-orthogonality class. More precisely, if L is a localization functor on an accessible category C such that the unit morphism X \to LX is an extremal epimorphism for all X, and the class of L-local objects is defined by an absolute formula with parameters, then the existence of a supercompact cardinal above the cardinalities of the parameters implies that L is a localization with respect to some set of morphisms.

math.CT↗