Iterated forcing and normal ideals onω 1

We prove that suitable iteration does not collapse ℵ₁ [and does not add reals], i.e., that in such iteration, certain sealing of maximal antichains of stationary subsets ofω ₁ is allowed. As an application, e.g., we prove from supercompact hypotheses, mainly, the consistency of: ZFC + GCH + “for some stationary setS ⊆ω ₁, {ie345-1}(ω ₁)/(D ω ₁ +S) is the Levy algebra” (i.e., the complete Boolean Algebra corresponding to the Levy collapse Levy (ℵ₀,<ℵ₂) (and we can add “a variant of PFA”) and the consistency of the same, with “Ulam property” replacing “Levy algebra”). The paper assumes no specialized knowledge (if you agree to believe in the semi-properness iteration theorem and RCS iteration). This research was partially supported by the NSF. This paper was largely written during the author’s visit at Cal Tech around the end of April 1985. The author would like to thank M. Foreman, A. Kekris and H. Woodin for their hospitality.     

A consistency result on thin-very tall Boolean algebras

It was proved by Baumgartner and Shelah that Con (ZFC)→Con (ZFC + “there is a superatomic Boolean algebra of width ω and height ω₂”). In this paper we improve Baumgartner-Shelah’s theorem, showing that Con (ZFC)→Con (ZFC+“for every α<ω₃ there is a superatomic Boolean algebra of width ω and height α”). The preparation of this paper was supported by DGICYT Grant PB98-1231.     

ω 1 can be measurable

It is shown that ifZF + the axiom of choice + “there is a measurable cardinal” is consistent thenZF + “ω ₁ is measurable” is consistent. The corresponding model is a symmetric submodel of the Cohen-type extension which collapses the first measurable cardinal onto ω₀.     

On the Convergence of ω1 Sequences of Real Functions

We study sets of points at which ω₁ sequences of real functions from a given class F converge. As F we consider continuous functions, first class of Baire, Borel measurable functions, functions with Baire property and Lebesgue measurable functions. Connections of those problem with additional set-theoretic axioms are discussed. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Projecting precipitousness

This paper is about “strong” ideals on small cardinals. It is shown that a typical property of large cardinal measures does not transfer to these ideals. More specifically, that precipitous ideals onP _ω1λ spaces may not project down to precipitous ideals on “smaller”P _ω1λ′ spaces. Also, that the existence of a presaturated ideal on the bigger space does not imply the existence of a presaturated ideal on the smaller space.     

Generalizations of Young’s Theorem to real functions of several variables

In 1907 W. H. Young classified the real-valued Baire one functions on the line which have the Darboux (intermediate-value) property as those which are bilaterally approachable. Here we investigate generalizations of this theorem to the setting of real-valued Baire one functions of several variables which possess various “Darboux-like” properties.      

Countably Compact Paratopological Groups

By means of the theory of bispaces we show that a countably compact T₀ paratopological group (G, τ) is a topological group if and only if (G, τ ∨ τ^-1) is ω-bounded (here τ^-1 is the conjugate topology of τ). Our approach is premised on the fact that every paratopological countably compact paratopological group is a Baire space and on the notion of a 2-pseudocompact space. We also prove that every ω-bounded (respectively, topologically periodic) Baire paratopological group admits a weaker Hausdorff group topology. In particular, ω-bounded (respectively, topologically periodic) 2-pseudocompact (so, also countably compact) paratopological groups enjoy this property. Some topological properties turning countably compact topological semigroups into topological groups are presented and some open questions are posed.     

Violating the singular cardinals hypothesis without large cardinals

We extend a transitive model V of ZFC+GCH cardinal preservingly to a model N of ZF + “GCH holds below ℵ _ω ” + “there is a surjection from the power set of ℵ _ω onto λ”, where λ is an arbitrarily high fixed cardinal in V. The construction can be described as follows: add ℵ _n +1 many Cohen subsets of ℵ _n+1 for every n < ω, and adjoin λ many subsets of ℵ _ω which are unions of ω-sequences of those Cohen subsets; then let N be a choiceless submodel generated by equivalence classes of the λ subsets of ℵ _ω modulo an appropriate equivalence relation.     

Baire number of the spaces of uniform ultrafilters

The Baire number is defined for a topological space without isolated points as the minimal size of the family of nowhere dense sets covering the space in question. We prove that in the case ofU(κ), the space of uniform ultrafilters over uncountable κ, the Baire number equals eitherω ₁ orω ₂, depending on the cofinality of κ. The results are connected to the collapsing of cardinals when using the quotient algebraP(κ) mod[κ]^<κ as the notion of forcing. The main portion of the present research, was done at the Center for Theoretical Study at Charles University and the Academy of Sciences.     

Isomorphism types of Aronszajn trees

We study the isomorphism types of Aronszajn trees of height ω₁ and give diverse results on this question (mainly consistency results). The second author would like to thank the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation for partially supporting this research by a grant.     

Bounding the consistency strength of a five element linear basis

In [13] it was demonstrated that the Proper Forcing Axiom implies that there is a five element basis for the class of uncountable linear orders. The assumptions needed in the proof have consistency strength of at least infinitely many Woodin cardinals. In this paper we reduce the upper bound on the consistency strength of such a basis to something less than a Mahlo cardinal, a hypothesis which can hold in the constructible universe L. A crucial notion in the proof is the saturation of an Aronszajn tree, a statement which may be of broader interest. We show that if all Aronszajn trees are saturated and PFA(ω ₁) holds, then there is a five element basis for the uncountable linear orders. We show that PFA(ω ₂) implies that all Aronszajn trees are saturated and that it is consistent to have PFA(ω ₁) plus every Aronszajn tree is saturated relative to the consistency of a reflecting Mahlo cardinal. Finally we show that a hypothesis weaker than the existence of a Mahlo cardinal is sufficient to force the existence of a five element basis for the uncountable linear orders. The first author acknowledges a fellowship granted by the French ministry of research. The research of the second author was partially supported by the Centre de Rercerca Matemàtica of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and by NSF Grant DMS-0401603. The second author would also like to thank the third and fourth authors for bringing him to Boise and Paris respectively for further discussions. The third author was supported by NSF grants DMS-0401893 and DMS-0200671. The second and fourth authors would like to thank CIRM in Luminy for hosting them during a petit group de travaille, and to thank the others participants, Ralf Schindler and Ernest Schimmerling, for discussions on this topic.     

Cantor-Bendixson degrees and convexity in ℝ2

We present an ordinal rank, δ³, which refines the standard classification of non-convexity among closed planar sets. The class of closed planar sets falls into a hierarchy of order type ω₁ + 1 when ordered by δ-rank. The rank δ³ (S) of a setS is defined by means of topological complexity of 3-cliques in the set. A 3-clique in a setS is a subset ofS all of whose unordered 3-tuples fail to have their convex hull inS. Similarly, δⁿ (S) is defined for alln>1. The classification cannot be done using δ², which considers only 2-cliques (known in the literature also as “visually independent subsets”), and in dimension 3 or higher the analogous classification is not valid.     

An ℵ1-dense ideal on ℵ2

This paper establishes the consistency of a countably complete, uniform, ℵ₁-dense ideal on ℵ₂. As a corollary, it is consistent that there exists a uniform ultrafilterD on ω₂ such that |ω ₁ ^ω2 D|=ω₁. A general “transfer” result establishes the consistency of countably complete uniform ideal K on ω₂ such thatP(ω₂)/K≅P(ω₁)/ {countable sets}. Partially supported by an NSF grant.     

Instances of the Conjecture of Chang

We consider various forms of the Conjecture of Chang. Part A constitutes an introduction. Donder and Koepke have shown that if ρ is a cardinal such that ρ ≧ ω₁, and (ρ⁺⁺,ρ⁺↠(ρ⁺, ρ), then 0⁺ exists. We obtain the same conclusion in Part B starting from some other forms of the transfer hypothesis. As typical corollaries, we get: Theorem A.Assume that there exists cardinals λ, κ, such that λ ≧ K ⁺ ≧ω₂ and (λ⁺, λ)↠(K ⁺,K. Then 0⁺ exists. Theorem B.Assume that there exists a singularcardinal κ such that(K ⁺,K↠(ω₁, ω₀. Then 0⁺ exists. Theorem C.Assume that (λ ⁺⁺, λ). Then 0⁺ exists (also ifK=ω ₀. Remark. Here, as in the paper of Donder and Koepke, “O⁺ exists” is a matter of saying that the hypothesis is strictly stronger than “L(μ) exists”. Of course, the same proof could give a few more sharps overL(μ), but the interest is in expecting more cardinals, coming from a larger core model. Theorem D.Assume that (λ ⁺⁺, λ)↠(K ⁺, K) and thatK≧ω ₁. Then 0⁺ exists. Remark 2. Theorem B is, as is well-known, false if the hypothesis “κ is singular” is removed, even if we assume thatK≧ω ₂, or that κ is inaccessible. We shall recall this in due place. Comments. Theorem B and Remark 2 suggest we seek the consistency of the hypothesis of the form:K ⁺, K↠(ω_n +1, ω_n), for κ singular andn≧0. 0266 0152 V 3 The consistency of several statements of this sort—a prototype of which is (N _ω+1,N _ω)↠(ω₁, ω₀) —have been established, starting with an hypothesis slightly stronger than: “there exists a huge cardinal”, but much weaker than: “there exists a 2-huge cardinal”. These results will be published in a joint paper by M. Magidor, S. Shelah, and the author of the present paper.     

On Almost Convergent and Statistically Convergent Subsequences

There are two well-known non-matrix summability methods which we will consider, namely “almost convergence” and “statistical convergence”. The results presented in this paper will be of two types, dealing with Lebesgue measure and Baire category. Establishing a one-to-one correspondence between the interval (0; 1] and the collection of all subsequences of a given sequence s = (s _n), we will examine the measure and category of the set of all almost convergent subsequences of (s _n). Similar questions for statistical and lacunary statistical convergence are considered. Results on rearrangements of sequences are also presented. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

S-forcing,I. A “black-box” theorem for morasses,with applications to super-Souslin trees

We formulate, for regular μ>ω, a “forcing principle” S_μ which we show is equivalent to the existence of morasses, thus providing a new and systematic method for obtaining applications of morasses. Various examples are given, notably that for infinitek, if 2 ^k =k ⁺ and there exists a (k ⁺, 1)-morass, then there exists ak ⁺⁺-super-Souslin tree: a normalk ⁺⁺ tree characterized by a highly absolute “positive” property, and which has ak ⁺⁺-Souslin subtree. As a consequence we show that CH+SH_{ℵ 2}⟹ℵ₂ is (inaccessible)^L. This author thanks the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation for partial support of this research.     

The strength of measurability hypotheses

We prove some consequences of various measurability hypotheses. Especially, we establish that the measurability of Σ ₂ ¹ sets implies that Σ ₂ ¹ sets have the property of Baire.     

ℵω may have a strong partition relation

We prove the consistency, with ZFC+G.C.H., of a strong partition relation of ℵω assuming the consistency of the existence of infinitely many compact cardinals. The author would like to thank the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation for supporting this research by Grant No. 1110.     

There exists a maximal 3-C.E. enumeration degree

We construct an incomplete 3-c.e. enumeration degree which is maximal among then-c.e. enumeration degrees for everyn with 3≤n≤ω. Consequently then-c.e. enumeration degrees are not dense for any suchn. We show also that no lown-c.e. e-degree can be maximal among then-c.e. e-degrees, for 2≤n≤ω. The first two authors were partially supported by EPSRC Research Grant “Turing Definability” No. GR/M 91419 (UK), and the second author by NSF grant No. 69973048 and by NSF major grant No. 19931020 (P. R. China), and by an INDAM visiting professorship at the University of Siena. The fourth author was partially supported as a visiting scholar by the University of Siena. The first three authors were funded by the INTAS-RFBR joint projectComputability and Models, no. 972-139. The fourth authors would like to thank Marat Arslanov for useful discussions.     

More on countably compact,locally countable spaces

Following [5], aT ₃ spaceX is called good (splendid) if it is countably compact, locally countable (andω-fair).G(κ) (resp.S(κ)) denotes the statement that a good (resp. splendid) spaceX with |X|=κ exists. We prove here that (i) Con(ZF)→Con(ZFC+MA+2 ^ω is big+S(κ) holds unlessω=cf(κ)<κ); (ii) a supercompact cardinal implies Con(ZFC+MA+2suω>_ω+₁+┐G(ω_ω+₁); (iii) the “Chang conjecture” (ω_ω+₁),→(ω ₁,ω) implies ┐S(κ) for allκ≧k≧ω_ω; (iv) ifP addsω ₁ dominating reals toV iteratively then, in , we haveG(λ^ω) for allλ. Research supported by Hungarian National Foundation for Scientific Research grant no. 1805.