A Woodin Cardinal? John R

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

A Woodin Cardinal? John R WHAT IS... ? a Woodin Cardinal? John R. Steel All mathematical statements can be expressed Large cardinal hypotheses attempt to capture in the language of set theory (LST), whose vari- the idea that there are more sets than one can ables are understood as ranging over sets, and possibly imagine, by means of the following in- whose only non-logical symbol ∈ stands for the formal reflection principle: suitable properties of membership relation. The vast majority of math- V reflect to some Vα. For one example, V is in- ematical proofs require no more than the axioms finite, and the ordinary Axiom of Infinity asserts of Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory with Choice, or that some Vα shares this property. For another, ZFC. In this way, set theory provides a foundation V is a model of second-order ZFC (also called for all of mathematics. Nevertheless, a surprising Kelley-Morse set theory), so our informal princi- number of basic questions about sets in general ple leads to the assertion that some Vκ satisfies are not decided by the axioms of ZFC; moreover second-order ZFC. This is equivalent to κ being an many of the more abstract questions of analysis, inaccessible cardinal. algebra, and topology are left similarly undecid- The stronger large cardinal hypotheses assert ed. Perhaps the most famous of the undecided the existence of elementary embeddings j : V → M questions is Cantor’s Continuum Problem: what that are nontrivial, i.e., not the identity. Here M is a is the cardinality of the set of all real numbers? transitive class. Elementarity means that whenever LST Another more concrete such question is whether ϕ(v1,...,vn) is a formula of with the displayed all sets of real numbers that are projective are free variables, and a1,...,an are sets, then Lebesgue measurable. (A set is projective if and V ⊨ ϕ[a1,...,an] ⇔ M ⊨ ϕ[j(a1),...,j(an)]. only if it can be built up from a countable inter- (For N a transitive set or class, and b ,...,b ∈ N, section of open sets by taking continuous images 1 n we say N ⊨ ϕ[b ,...,b ] if and only if ϕ(v ,...,v ) and complements finitely many times.) 1 n 1 n is true when its quantifiers are understood as The most fruitful way to extend ZFC so as to ranging over N, its variable vi is understood as remove some of this incompleteness is to strength- naming bi , and the ∈ symbol of LST is understood en its axiom asserting that there are infinite sets. as standing for set-membership.) For such a j, the Large cardinal hypotheses do this. critical point of j, or crit(j), is the least ordinal For α an ordinal number, we define Vα by κ such that j(κ) 6= κ. Since j is order-preserving, transfinite induction: V0 =∅, Vα+1 ={x | x ⊆ Vα}, this implies κ < j(κ). The reflection here occurs at and Vλ = Sα<λ Vα for λ a limit ordinal. Thus Vα κ: if ϕ(κ) holds in V , and M resembles V enough consists of those sets that can be built up in < α that M ⊨ ϕ[κ], then M ⊨∃α<v1ϕ(α)[j(κ)], so stages by taking sets of objects previously formed. by the elementarity of j, there is an α < κ such Each Vα is transitive (i.e., if x ∈ Vα, then x ⊆ Vα), that ϕ(α) holds in V . The more M resembles V , the and α ≤ β ⇒ Vα ⊆ Vβ. It follows from the Axiom more reflection we have. By a result of K. Kunen, ZFC of Foundation of that every set is in some Vα. M = V is impossible, but weaker conditions on M We write V for the union of all the Vα, the universe lead to plausible and useful principles. of all sets. V is not itself a set, but rather what is For example, κ is measurable if and only if sometimes called a proper class. there is any transitive M and nontrivial embed- ding j : V → M with crit(j) = κ. If there is such a John R. Steel is professor of mathematics at the Uni- j,M with Vβ ⊆ M, we say κ is β-strong, and we say versity of California at Berkeley. His email address is κ is strong if and only if κ is β-strong for all β. [email protected]. If there is such a j,M such that every λ-sequence 1146 Notices of the AMS Volume 54, Number 9 of elements of M belongs to M, then we say κ B is projective if and only if membership in B can is λ-supercompact, and we say κ is supercompact be defined within LSA from some real parameter. if and only if κ is λ-supercompact for all λ. We Most questions about projective sets of reals can have listed these properties in order of increasing be phrased in LSA; for example, the Lebesgue strength; indeed, if κ is strong, then Vκ ⊨ “there is measurability and determinacy of projective sets a measurable cardinal”, and if κ is supercompact, can be expressed using sentences in LSA. Then, by then Vκ ⊨ “there is a strong cardinal”. work of Martin, Woodin, and the author, we have S. Ulam first isolated a property equivalent to that the following are equivalent: measurability in 1930: κ is measurable if and only (a) PD, if there is a κ-additive, 2-valued measure defined (b) for each n, every consequence in LSA of on all subsets of κ that gives singletons measure 0. the theory ZFC plus “there are n Woodin (To get a measure from an elementary embedding, cardinals” is true. ⇔ set µ(A) = 1 κ ∈ j(A), for A ⊆ κ. Conversely, Thus PD is precisely the “instrumentalist’s trace” of one gets elementary embeddings from measures Woodin cardinals in the language of second-order using the ultrapower construction.) Embeddings arithmetic. corresponding to stronger large cardinal proper- Underlying the proof that Woodin cardinals ties can be captured in a similar way by systems imply PD is a structure known as the iteration of measures. tree. Roughly speaking, an iteration tree on M is Let κ < δ be cardinals, and A ⊆ Vδ; then κ is a tree of models with root M that is generated A-strong in δ if and only if for all β < δ there is by a certain process. This process involves using an elementary j : V → M such that crit(j) = κ and a system of measures coding an embedding in j(A) ∩ Vβ = A ∩ Vβ. (The case A = Vδ implies κ is one model to generate an embedding with domain β-strong for all β < δ.) We say δ is A-Woodin if and in some other model, and thus equips the tree only if there is a κ < δ that is A-strong in δ, and with commuting elementary embeddings from the we say δ is Woodin in case it is A-Woodin for all models earlier on a given branch to those later on A ⊆ Vδ. The hypothesis that there are Woodin car- that branch. A simple example is an alternating dinals is strictly between the existence of strong chain on M, an iteration tree having two distinct and supercompact cardinals in strength. branches, the “even” branch consisting of models Woodin cardinals were discovered by W. H. Mn for n even (with M0 = M), and the “odd” branch Woodin in 1984. New techniques due to M. Fore- consisting of M0 together with the Mn for n odd. If man, M. Magidor, and S. Shelah had just shown B is a subset of the Bairespace, then an alternating that the Lebesgue measurability of projective sets chain representation of B is a continuous function of real numbers follows from large cardinal hy- A on NN such that for each x ∈ NN, A(x) is an potheses much weaker than had been previously alternating chain on some Vδ, and x ∈ B if and suspected. Woodin showed that in fact the exis- only if the direct limit along the even branch of tence of infinitely many Woodin cardinals implies A(x) is wellfounded. If B has an alternating chain all projective sets of reals are Lebesgue measur- representation, then B is determined. The proof of able. About a year later, in 1985, D. A. Martin and PD from Woodin cardinals goes by showing that if the author showed that the existence of infinite- δ is Woodin, and there are infinitely many Woodin ly many Woodin cardinals implies all projective cardinals above δ, then every projective set has an subsets of the Baire space NN are determined (PD), alternating chain representation on Vδ. a stronger regularity property that, by work of In general, an iteration tree may have transfinite many people in the 1960s and 1970s, is the basis length. The construction of iteration trees, and the for a thorough and detailed structure theory for analysis of the properties of arbitrary iteration ZFC projective sets. (By itself, decides very little trees, is at the heart of many basic open problems about the projective sets.) in pure large cardinal theory. The extent to which Of course, it follows that any large cardinal δ is Woodin (that is, the complexity of those sets hypothesis that implies there are infinitely many A ⊆ V such that δ is A-Woodin) is mirrored in the PD δ Woodin cardinals also implies . In fact, building complexity of the iteration trees one can generate on work of Martin, Woodin had already shown on Vδ.
Recommended publications
  • Mice with Finitely Many Woodin Cardinals from Optimal Determinacy Hypotheses
    MICE WITH FINITELY MANY WOODIN CARDINALS FROM OPTIMAL DETERMINACY HYPOTHESES SANDRA MULLER,¨ RALF SCHINDLER, AND W. HUGH WOODIN Abstract We prove the following result which is due to the third author. 1 1 Let n ≥ 1. If Πn determinacy and Πn+1 determinacy both hold true and 1 # there is no Σn+2-definable !1-sequence of pairwise distinct reals, then Mn 1 exists and is !1-iterable. The proof yields that Πn+1 determinacy implies # that Mn (x) exists and is !1-iterable for all reals x. A consequence is the Determinacy Transfer Theorem for arbitrary n ≥ 1, 1 (n) 2 1 namely the statement that Πn+1 determinacy implies a (< ! − Π1) de- terminacy. Contents Abstract 1 Preface 2 Overview 4 1. Introduction 6 1.1. Games and Determinacy 6 1.2. Inner Model Theory 7 1.3. Mice with Finitely Many Woodin Cardinals 9 1.4. Mice and Determinacy 14 2. A Model with Woodin Cardinals from Determinacy Hypotheses 15 2.1. Introduction 15 2.2. Preliminaries 16 2.3. OD-Determinacy for an Initial Segment of Mn−1 32 2.4. Applications 40 2.5. A Proper Class Inner Model with n Woodin Cardinals 44 3. Proving Iterability 49 First author formerly known as Sandra Uhlenbrock. The first author gratefully ac- knowledges her non-material and financial support from the \Deutsche Telekom Stiftung". The material in this paper is part of the first author's Ph.D. thesis written under the su- pervision of the second author. 1 2 SANDRA MULLER,¨ RALF SCHINDLER, AND W. HUGH WOODIN 3.1.
    [Show full text]
  • Arxiv:1901.02074V1 [Math.LO] 4 Jan 2019 a Xoskona Lrecrias Ih Eal Ogv Entv a Definitive a Give T to of Able Basis Be the Might Cardinals” [17]
    GENERIC LARGE CARDINALS AS AXIOMS MONROE ESKEW Abstract. We argue against Foreman’s proposal to settle the continuum hy- pothesis and other classical independent questions via the adoption of generic large cardinal axioms. Shortly after proving that the set of all real numbers has a strictly larger car- dinality than the set of integers, Cantor conjectured his Continuum Hypothesis (CH): that there is no set of a size strictly in between that of the integers and the real numbers [1]. A resolution of CH was the first problem on Hilbert’s famous list presented in 1900 [19]. G¨odel made a major advance by constructing a model of the Zermelo-Frankel (ZF) axioms for set theory in which the Axiom of Choice and CH both hold, starting from a model of ZF. This showed that the axiom system ZF, if consistent on its own, could not disprove Choice, and that ZF with Choice (ZFC), a system which suffices to formalize the methods of ordinary mathematics, could not disprove CH [16]. It remained unknown at the time whether models of ZFC could be found in which CH was false, but G¨odel began to suspect that this was possible, and hence that CH could not be settled on the basis of the normal methods of mathematics. G¨odel remained hopeful, however, that new mathemati- cal axioms known as “large cardinals” might be able to give a definitive answer on CH [17]. The independence of CH from ZFC was finally solved by Cohen’s invention of the method of forcing [2]. Cohen’s method showed that ZFC could not prove CH either, and in fact could not put any kind of bound on the possible number of cardinals between the sizes of the integers and the reals.
    [Show full text]
  • Are Large Cardinal Axioms Restrictive?
    Are Large Cardinal Axioms Restrictive? Neil Barton∗ 24 June 2020y Abstract The independence phenomenon in set theory, while perva- sive, can be partially addressed through the use of large cardinal axioms. A commonly assumed idea is that large cardinal axioms are species of maximality principles. In this paper, I argue that whether or not large cardinal axioms count as maximality prin- ciples depends on prior commitments concerning the richness of the subset forming operation. In particular I argue that there is a conception of maximality through absoluteness, on which large cardinal axioms are restrictive. I argue, however, that large cardi- nals are still important axioms of set theory and can play many of their usual foundational roles. Introduction Large cardinal axioms are widely viewed as some of the best candi- dates for new axioms of set theory. They are (apparently) linearly ordered by consistency strength, have substantial mathematical con- sequences for questions independent from ZFC (such as consistency statements and Projective Determinacy1), and appear natural to the ∗Fachbereich Philosophie, University of Konstanz. E-mail: neil.barton@uni- konstanz.de. yI would like to thank David Aspero,´ David Fernandez-Bret´ on,´ Monroe Eskew, Sy-David Friedman, Victoria Gitman, Luca Incurvati, Michael Potter, Chris Scam- bler, Giorgio Venturi, Matteo Viale, Kameryn Williams and audiences in Cambridge, New York, Konstanz, and Sao˜ Paulo for helpful discussion. Two anonymous ref- erees also provided helpful comments, and I am grateful for their input. I am also very grateful for the generous support of the FWF (Austrian Science Fund) through Project P 28420 (The Hyperuniverse Programme) and the VolkswagenStiftung through the project Forcing: Conceptual Change in the Foundations of Mathematics.
    [Show full text]
  • Determinacy and Large Cardinals
    Determinacy and Large Cardinals Itay Neeman∗ Abstract. The principle of determinacy has been crucial to the study of definable sets of real numbers. This paper surveys some of the uses of determinacy, concentrating specifically on the connection between determinacy and large cardinals, and takes this connection further, to the level of games of length ω1. Mathematics Subject Classification (2000). 03E55; 03E60; 03E45; 03E15. Keywords. Determinacy, iteration trees, large cardinals, long games, Woodin cardinals. 1. Determinacy Let ωω denote the set of infinite sequences of natural numbers. For A ⊂ ωω let Gω(A) denote the length ω game with payoff A. The format of Gω(A) is displayed in Diagram 1. Two players, denoted I and II, alternate playing natural numbers forming together a sequence x = hx(n) | n < ωi in ωω called a run of the game. The run is won by player I if x ∈ A, and otherwise the run is won by player II. I x(0) x(2) ...... II x(1) x(3) ...... Diagram 1. The game Gω(A). A game is determined if one of the players has a winning strategy. The set A is ω determined if Gω(A) is determined. For Γ ⊂ P(ω ), det(Γ) denotes the statement that all sets in Γ are determined. Using the axiom of choice, or more specifically using a wellordering of the reals, it is easy to construct a non-determined set A. det(P(ωω)) is therefore false. On the other hand it has become clear through research over the years that det(Γ) is true if all the sets in Γ are definable by some concrete means.
    [Show full text]
  • Inner Model Theoretic Geology∗
    Inner model theoretic geology∗ Gunter Fuchsy Ralf Schindler November 4, 2015 Abstract One of the basic concepts of set theoretic geology is the mantle of a model of set theory V: it is the intersection of all grounds of V, that is, of all inner models M of V such that V is a set-forcing extension of M. The main theme of the present paper is to identify situations in which the mantle turns out to be a fine structural extender model. The first main result is that this is the case when the universe is constructible from a set and there is an inner model with a Woodin cardinal. The second situation like that arises if L[E] is an extender model that is iterable in V but not internally iterable, as guided by P -constructions, L[E] has no strong cardinal, and the extender sequence E is ordinal definable in L[E] and its forcing extensions by collapsing a cutpoint to ! (in an appropriate sense). The third main result concerns the Solid Core of a model of set theory. This is the union of all sets that are constructible from a set of ordinals that cannot be added by set-forcing to an inner model. The main result here is that if there is an inner model with a Woodin cardinal, then the solid core is a fine-structural extender model. 1 Introduction In [3], the authors introduced several types of inner models which are defined following the paradigm of \undoing" forcing. Thus, the mantle M of a model of set theory V is the intersection of all of its ground models (i.e., the intersection of all ∗AMS MSC 2010: 03E35, 03E40, 03E45, 03E47, 03E55.
    [Show full text]
  • Paul B. Larson a BRIEF HISTORY of DETERMINACY §1. Introduction
    Paul B. Larson A BRIEF HISTORY OF DETERMINACY x1. Introduction. Determinacy axioms are statements to the effect that certain games are determined, in that each player in the game has an optimal strategy. The commonly accepted axioms for mathematics, the Zermelo-Fraenkel axioms with the Axiom of Choice (ZFC; see [??, ??]), im- ply the determinacy of many games that people actually play. This applies in particular to many games of perfect information, games in which the players alternate moves which are known to both players, and the out- come of the game depends only on this list of moves, and not on chance or other external factors. Games of perfect information which must end in finitely many moves are determined. This follows from the work of Ernst Zermelo [??], D´enesK}onig[??] and L´aszl´oK´almar[??], and also from the independent work of John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern (in their 1944 book, reprinted as [??]). As pointed out by Stanis law Ulam [??], determinacy for games of perfect information of a fixed finite length is essentially a theorem of logic. If we let x1,y1,x2,y2,::: ,xn,yn be variables standing for the moves made by players player I (who plays x1,::: ,xn) and player II (who plays y1,::: ,yn), and A (consisting of sequences of length 2n) is the set of runs of the game for which player I wins, the statement (1) 9x18y1 ::: 9xn8ynhx1; y1; : : : ; xn; yni 2 A essentially asserts that the first player has a winning strategy in the game, and its negation, (2) 8x19y1 ::: 8xn9ynhx1; y1; : : : ; xn; yni 62 A essentially asserts that the second player has a winning strategy.1 We let ! denote the set of natural numbers 0; 1; 2;::: ; for brevity we will often refer to the members of this set as \integers".
    [Show full text]
  • Incompatible Ω-Complete Theories∗
    Incompatible Ω-Complete Theories∗ Peter Koellner and W. Hugh Woodin July 25, 2009 Abstract In 1985 the second author showed that if there is a proper class of mea- surable Woodin cardinals and V B1 and V B2 are generic extensions of V B1 B2 2 satisfying CH then V and V agree on all Σ1-statements. In terms of the strong logic Ω-logic this can be reformulated by saying that un- der the above large cardinal assumption ZFC + CH is Ω-complete for 2 2 Σ1. Moreover, CH is the unique Σ1-statement with this feature in the 2 sense that any other Σ1-statement with this feature is Ω-equivalent to CH over ZFC. It is natural to look for other strengthenings of ZFC that have an even greater degree of Ω-completeness. For example, one can ask for recursively enumerable axioms A such that relative to large cardinal axioms ZFC + A is Ω-complete for all of third-order arithmetic. Going further, for each specifiable segment Vλ of the uni- verse of sets (for example, one might take Vλ to be the least level that satisfies there is a proper class of huge cardinals), one can ask for recursively enumerable axioms A such that relative to large cardinal axioms ZFC + A is Ω-complete for the theory of Vλ. If such theories exist, extend one another, and are unique in the sense that any other such theory B with the same level of Ω-completeness as A is actually Ω-equivalent to A over ZFC, then this would show that there is a unique Ω-complete picture of the successive fragments of the universe of sets and it would make for a very strong case for axioms comple- menting large cardinal axioms.
    [Show full text]
  • AN Ω-LOGIC PRIMER Introduction One Family of Results in Modern Set
    AN ­-LOGIC PRIMER JOAN BAGARIA, NEUS CASTELLS, AND PAUL LARSON Abstract. In [12], Hugh Woodin introduced ­-logic, an approach to truth in the universe of sets inspired by recent work in large cardinals. Expository accounts of ­-logic appear in [13, 14, 1, 15, 16, 17]. In this paper we present proofs of some elementary facts about ­-logic, relative to the published literature, leading up to the generic invariance of ­- logic and the ­-conjecture. Introduction One family of results in modern set theory, called absoluteness results, shows that the existence of certain large cardinals implies that the truth values of certain sentences cannot be changed by forcing1. Another family of results shows that large cardinals imply that certain de¯nable sets of reals satisfy certain regularity properties, which in turn implies the existence of models satisfying other large cardinal properties. Results of the ¯rst type suggest a logic in which statements are said to be valid if they hold in every forcing extension. With some technical modi¯cations, this is Woodin's ­- logic, which ¯rst appeared in [12]. Results of the second type suggest that there should be a sort of internal characterization of validity in ­-logic. Woodin has proposed such a characterization, and the conjecture that it succeeds is called the ­-conjecture. Several expository papers on ­-logic and the ­-conjecture have been published [1, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17]. Here we briefly discuss the technical background of ­-logic, and prove some of the basic theorems in this area. This paper assumes a basic knowledge of Set Theory, including con- structibility and forcing.
    [Show full text]
  • Large Cardinals and the Iterative Conception of Set
    Large cardinals and the iterative conception of set Neil Barton∗ 4 December 2017y Abstract The independence phenomenon in set theory, while pervasive, can be par- tially addressed through the use of large cardinal axioms. One idea sometimes alluded to is that maximality considerations speak in favour of large cardinal ax- ioms consistent with ZFC, since it appears to be ‘possible’ (in some sense) to continue the hierarchy far enough to generate the relevant transfinite number. In this paper, we argue against this idea based on a priority of subset formation under the iterative conception. In particular, we argue that there are several con- ceptions of maximality that justify the consistency but falsity of large cardinal axioms. We argue that the arguments we provide are illuminating for the debate concerning the justification of new axioms in iteratively-founded set theory. Introduction Large cardinal axioms (discussed in detail below) are widely viewed as some of the best candidates for new axioms of set theory. They are (apparently) linearly ordered by consistency strength, have substantial mathematical consequences for indepen- dence results (both as a tool for generating new models and for consequences within the models in which they reside), and often appear natural to the working set theo- rist, providing fine-grained information about different properties of transfinite sets. They are considered mathematically interesting and central for the study of set the- ory and its philosophy. In this paper, we do not deny any of the above views. We will, however, argue that the status of large cardinal axioms as maximality principles is questionable.
    [Show full text]
  • LONG BOREL GAMES 3 Large Cardinal Axioms, Or Strengthenings of the Axiom of Infinity, and Use Them to Prove the Determinacy of Games on the Natural Numbers
    LONG BOREL GAMES J. P. AGUILERA Abstract. We study games of length ω2 with moves in N and Borel payoff. These are, e.g., games in which two players alternate turns playing digits to produce a real number in [0, 1] infinitely many times, after which the winner is decided in terms of the sequence belonging to a Borel set in the product space [0, 1]N. The main theorem is that Borel games of length ω2 are determined if, and only if, for every countable ordinal α, there is a fine-structural, countably iterable model of Zermelo set theory with α-many iterated powersets above a limit of Woodin cardinals. Contents 1. Introduction 1 2. Preliminaries 5 3. Determinacy and L(R) 7 4. Proof of Lemma 3.1 18 5. Derived model theorems 25 References 28 1. Introduction Given a Borel subset A of the Hilbert space ℓ2, define a two-player perfect- information, zero-sum game in which Player I and Player II alternate turns playing 0 digits xi ∈{0, 1,..., 9} infinitely often, giving rise to a real number ∞ x0 x0 = i . X 10i+1 i=0 arXiv:1906.11757v1 [math.LO] 27 Jun 2019 Afterwards, they continue alternating turns to produce real numbers x1, x2, and so on. To ensure that the sequence belongs to ℓ2, we normalize, e.g., by setting xi yi = . i +1 Player I wins the game if, and only if, ~y ∈ A; otherwise Player II wins. These are games of transfinite length ω2. (Recall that ω denotes the order-type of the natural numbers.) It is a natural question whether these games are determined, i.e., whether one of the players has a winning strategy.
    [Show full text]
  • The Continuum Hypothesis, the Generic-Multiverse of Sets, and the Ω Conjecture
    The Continuum Hypothesis, the generic-multiverse of sets, and the Ω Conjecture W. Hugh Woodin July 16, 2009 1 A tale of two problems The formal independence of Cantor’s Continuum Hypothesis from the axioms of Set Theory (ZFC) is an immediate corollary of the following two theorems where the state- ment of the Cohen’s theorem is recast in the more modern formulation of the Boolean valued universe. Theorem 1 (Godel,¨ [3]). Assume V = L. Then the Continuum Hypothesis holds. ut Theorem 2 (Cohen, [1]). There exists a complete Boolean algebra, B, such that VB “The Continuum Hypothesis is false”: ut Is this really evidence (as is often cited) that the Continuum Hypothesis has no answer? Another prominent problem from the early 20th century concerns the projective sets, [8]; these are the subsets of Rn which are generated from the closed sets in finitely many steps taking images by continuous functions, f : Rn ! Rn, and complements. A function, f : R ! R, is projective if the graph of f is a projective subset of R × R. Let Projective Uniformization be the assertion: For each projective set A ⊂ R × R there exists a projective function, f : R ! R, such that for all x 2 R if there exists y 2 R such that (x; y) 2 A then (x; f (x)) 2 A. The two theorems above concerning the Continuum Hypothesis have versions for Projective Uniformization. Curiously the Boolean algebra for Cohen’s theorem is the same in both cases, but in case of the problem of Projective Uniformization an addi- tional hypothesis on V is necessary.
    [Show full text]
  • Pcf Theory and Woodin Cardinals 1 Introduction and Statements of Results
    Pcf theory and Woodin cardinals Moti Gitik,a Ralf Schindler,b and Saharon Shelahc;∗ aSchool of Mathematical Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel bInstitut fur¨ Formale Logik, Universit¨at Wien, 1090 Wien, Austria cInstitute of Mathematics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel, and Department of Mathematics, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 03E04, 03E45. Secondary 03E35, 03E55. Keywords: cardinal arithmetic/pcf theory/core models/large cardinals. Abstract jαj jαj+ Theorem 1.1. Let α be a limit ordinal. Suppose that 2 < @α and 2 < jαj @jαj+ , whereas @α > @jαj+ . Then for all n < ! and for all bounded X ⊂ @jαj+ , # Mn (X) exists. Theorem 1.4. Let κ be a singular cardinal of uncountable cofinality. If fα < κ j 2α = α+g is stationary as well as co-stationary then for all n < ! # and for all bounded X ⊂ κ, Mn (X) exists. Theorem 1.1 answers a question of Gitik and Mitchell (cf. [GiMi96, Question 5, p. 315]), and Theorem 1.4 yields a lower bound for an assertion discussed in [Gi1] (cf. [Gi1, Problem 4]). The proofs of these theorems combine pcf theory with core model theory. Along the way we establish some ZFC results in cardinal arithmetic, moti- vated by Silver's theorem [Si74], and we obtain results of core model theory, motivated by the task of building a \stable core model." Both sets of results are of independent interest. 1 Introduction and statements of results.
    [Show full text]