arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Saharon Shelah.
We deal with consistency results for the existence of universal models in natural classes of models (more exactly--a somewhat weaker version). We apply a result on quite general family to T_feq and to the class of triangle-free graphs.
A group G that is not finitely generated can be written as the union of a chain of proper subgroups. The cofinality spectrum of G, written CF(S), is the set of regular cardinals lambda such that G can be expressed as the union of a chain of lambda proper subgroups. The cofinality of G, written c(G), is the least element of CF(G). We show that it is consistent that CF(S) is quite a bizarre set of cardinals. For example, we prove Theorem (A): Let T be any subset of omega setminus {0}. Then it is consistent that aleph_n in CF(S) if and only if n in T . One might suspect that it is consistent that CF(S) is an arbitrarily prescribed set of regular uncountable cardinals, subject only to the above mentioned constraint. This is not the case. Theorem (B): If aleph_n in CF(S) for all n in omega setminus {0}, then aleph_{omega +1} in CF(S) .
The monadic second-order theory of trees allows quantification over elements and over arbitrary subsets. We classify the class of trees with respect to the question: does a tree T have definable Skolem functions (by a monadic formula with parameters)? This continues [LiSh539] where the question was asked only with respect to choice functions. Here we define a subclass of the class of tame trees (trees with a definable choice function) and prove that this is exactly the class (actually set) of trees with definable Skolem functions.
There exists a family $\{B_α\}_{α<ω_1}$ of sets of countable ordinals such that o $\max B_α=α$, o if $α\in B_β$ then $B_α\subseteq B_β$, o if $λ\leq α$ and $λ$ is a limit ordinal then $B_α\capλ$ is not in the ideal generated by the $B_β$, $β<α$, and by the bounded subsets of $λ$, o there is a partition $\{A_n\}_{n=0}^{\infty}$ of $ω_1$ such that for every $α$ and every $n,$ $B_α\cap A_n$ is finite.
We partially prove a conjecture from [MkSh:366] which says that the spectrum of almost free, essentially free, non-free algebras in a variety is either empty or consists of the class of all successor cardinals.
Gregory McColm conjectured that positive elementary inductions are bounded in a class K of finite structures if every (FO + LFP) formula is equivalent to a first-order formula in K. Here (FO + LFP) is the extension of first-order logic with the least fixed point operator. We disprove the conjecture. Our main results are two model-theoretic constructions, one deterministic and the other randomized, each of which refutes McColm's conjecture.
The main result of this paper is a probabilistic construction of finite rigid structures. It yields a finitely axiomatizable class of finite rigid structures where no L^omega_{infty, omega} formula with counting quantifiers defines a linear order.
We examine the existence of universal elements in classes of infinite abelian groups. The main method is using group invariants which are defined relative to club guessing sequences. We prove, for example: Theorem: For $n\ge 2$, there is a purely universal separable $p$-group in $\aleph_n$ if, and only if, $\cont\le \aleph_n$.
A homogeneous family of subsets over a given set is one with a very ``rich'' automorphism group. We prove the existence of a bi-universal element in the class of homogeneous families over a given infinite set and give an explicit construction of $2^\cont$ isomorphism types of homogeneous families over a countable set.
The essentially non-free spectrum is the class of uncountable cardinals kappa in which there is an essentially non-free algebra of cardinality kappa which is almost free. In L, the essentially non-free spectrum of a variety is entirely determined by whether or not the construction principle holds. In ZFC may be more complicated. For some varieties, such as groups, abelian groups or any variety of modules over a non-left perfect ring, the essentially non-free spectrum contains not only aleph_1 but aleph_n for all n>0. The reason for this being true in ZFC (rather than under some special set theoretic hypotheses) is that these varieties satisfy stronger versions of the construction principle. We conjecture that the hierarchy of construction principles is strict, i.e., that for each n>0 there is a variety which satisfies the n-construction principle but not the n+1-construction principle. In this paper we will show that the 1-construction principle does not imply the 2-construction principle. We prove that, assuming the consistency of some large cardinal hypothesis, it is consistent that a variety has an essentially non-free almost free algebra of cardinality aleph_n if and only if it satisfies the n-construction principle.
Assuming an inaccessible cardinal kappa, there is a generic extension in which MA + 2^{aleph_0} = kappa holds and the reals have a Delta^2_1 well-ordering.
We prove that the Sacks forcing collapses the continuum onto the dominating number d, answering the question of Carlson and Laver. Next we prove that if a proper forcing of the size at most continuum collapses omega_2 then it forces diamond_{omega_1} .
CWH, CWN stand for collectionwise Hausdorff and collectionwise normal respectively. We analyze the statement "there is a lambda-CWH not CWH first countable (Hausdorff topological) space". We prove the existence of such a space under various conditions, show its equivalence to: there is a lambda-CWN not CWN first countable space and give an equivalent set theoretic statement; the nicest version we can obtain is in \S4. The author had a flawed proof of the existence of such spaces in ZFC, for some lambda > aleph_1, in June of 1992; still we decided that there is some interest in the correct part and some additions.
A subgroup G \leq Z^omega exhibits the Specker phenomenon if every homomorphism G \to Z maps almost all unit vectors to 0. We give several combinatorial characterizations of the cardinal se, the size of the smallest G \leq Z^omega exhibiting the Specker phenomenon. We also prove the consistency of b < e, where b is the unbounding number and e the evasion number introduced recently by Blass. Finally we show that e \geq \min { aleph_0--e , cov(M) }, where aleph_0--e is the aleph_0--evasion number (the uniformity of the evasion ideal) and cov(M) is the covering number of the meager ideal. All these results can be dualized. They answer several questions addressed by Blass.
A property of a filter, a kind of large cardinal property, suffices for the proof in Liu Shelah [LiSh:484] and is proved consistent as required there. A natural property which looks better, not only is not obtained here, but is shown to be false. On earlier related theorems see Gitik Shelah [GiSh310].
We show that every null-additive set is meager-additive, where: (1) a set X subseteq 2^omega is null-additive if for every Lebesgue null set A subseteq 2^omega, X+A is null too; (2) we say that X subseteq 2^omega is meager-additive if for every A subseteq 2^omega which is meager also X+A is meager.
We study the cardinal invariants of measure and category after adding one random real. In particular, we show that the number of measure zero subsets of the plane which are necessary to cover graphs of all continuous functions maybe large while the covering for measure is small.
Using the consistency of some large cardinals we produce a model of Set Theory in which the generalized continuum hypothesis holds and for some torsion-free abelian group G of cardinality aleph_{omega +1} and for some torsion group T, Bext^2(G,T) not =0 .