We characterize Morita equivalence of theories in the sense of Johnstone in terms of a new syntactic notion of a common definitional extension developed by Barrett and Halvorson for cartesian, regular, coherent, geometric and first-order theories. This provides a purely syntactic characterization of the relation between two theories that have equivalent categories of models naturally in any Grothendieck topos.

If M is a proper class inner model of ZFC and $\omega _2^{\bf{M}} = \omega _2 $, then every sound mouse projecting to ω and not past 0¶ belongs to M. In fact, under the assumption that 0¶ does not belong to M, ${\bf{K}}^{\bf{M}} \parallel \omega _2 $ is universal for all countable mice in V.

Similarly, if M is a proper class inner model of ZFC, δ > ω1 is regular, (δ+)M = δ+ and in V there is no proper class inner model with a Woodin cardinal, then ${\bf{K}}^{\bf{M}} \parallel \delta $ is universal for all mice in V of cardinality less than δ.

The degree spectrum of a countable structure is the set of all Turing degrees of presentations of that structure. We show that every nonlow Turing degree lies in the spectrum of some differentially closed field (of characteristic 0, with a single derivation) whose spectrum does not contain the computable degree 0. Indeed, this is an equivalence, for we also show that if this spectrum contained a low degree, then it would contain the degree 0. From these results we conclude that the spectra of differentially closed fields of characteristic 0 are exactly the jump-preimages of spectra of automorphically nontrivial graphs.

Let T be a second-order arithmetical theory, Λ a well-order, λ < Λ and X ⊆ ℕ. We use $[\lambda |X]_T^{\rm{\Lambda }}\varphi$ as a formalization of “φ is provable from T and an oracle for the set X, using ω-rules of nesting depth at most λ”.

For a set of formulas Γ, define predicative oracle reflection for T over Γ (Pred–O–RFNΓ(T)) to be the schema that asserts that, if X ⊆ ℕ, Λ is a well-order and φ ∈ Γ, then

$$\forall \,\lambda < {\rm{\Lambda }}\,([\lambda |X]_T^{\rm{\Lambda }}\varphi \to \varphi ).$$

In particular, define predicative oracle consistency (Pred–O–Cons(T)) as Pred–O–RFN{0=1}(T).

Our main result is as follows. Let ATR0 be the second-order theory of Arithmetical Transfinite Recursion, ${\rm{RCA}}_0^{\rm{*}}$ be Weakened Recursive Comprehension and ACA be Arithmetical Comprehension with Full Induction. Then,

$${\rm{ATR}}_0 \equiv {\rm{RCA}}_0^{\rm{*}} + {\rm{Pred - O - Cons\ }}\left( {{\rm{RCA}}_0^{\rm{*}} } \right) \equiv {\rm{RCA}}_0^{\rm{*}} + \,{\rm{Pred - O - Cons\ }}\left( {{\rm{RCA}}_0^{\rm{*}} } \right) \equiv {\rm{RCA}}_0^{\rm{*}} + \,{\rm{Pred - O - RFN}}\,_{{\bf{\Pi }}_2^1 } \left( {{\rm{ACA}}} \right).$$

We may even replace ${\rm{RCA}}_0^{\rm{*}}$ by the weaker ECA0, the second-order analogue of Elementary Arithmetic.

Thus we characterize ATR0, a theory often considered to embody Predicative Reductionism, in terms of strong reflection and consistency principles.

Let G be a countably infinite discrete group, let βG be the Stone–Čech compactification of G, and let ${G^{\rm{*}}} = \beta G \setminus G$. An idempotent $p \in {G^{\rm{*}}}$ is left (right) maximal if for every idempotent $q \in {G^{\rm{*}}}$, pq = p (qp = P) implies qp = q (qp = q). An idempotent $p \in {G^{\rm{*}}}$ is strongly right maximal if the equation xp = p has the unique solution x = p in G*. We show that there is an idempotent $p \in {G^{\rm{*}}}$ which is both left maximal and strongly right maximal.

We formulate combinatorial principles that combine the square principle with various strong forms of the diamond principle, and prove that the strongest amongst them holds in L for every infinite cardinal.

As an application, we prove that the following two hold in L:

1. 1. For every infinite regular cardinal λ, there exists a special λ+-Aronszajn tree whose projection is almost Souslin;

2. 2. For every infinite cardinal λ, there exists a respecting λ+-Kurepa tree; Roughly speaking, this means that this λ+-Kurepa tree looks very much like the λ+-Souslin trees that Jensen constructed in L.

We define and study a metric independence notion in a homogeneous metric abstract elementary class with perturbations that is dp-superstable (superstable wrt. the perturbation topology), weakly simple and has complete type spaces and we give a new example of such a class based on B. Zilber’s approximations of Weyl algebras. We introduce a way to measure the dependence of a tuple a from a set B over another set A. We prove basic properties of the notion, e.g., that a is independent of B over A in the usual sense of homogeneous model theory if and only if the measure of dependence is < ε for all ε > 0. In well behaved situations, the measure corresponds to the distance to a free extension. As an example of our measure of dependence we show a connection between the measure and entropy in models from quantum mechanics in which the spectrum of the observable is discrete. As an application, we show that weak simplicity implies a very strong form of simplicity and study the question of when the dependence inside a set of all realisations of some type can be seen to arise from a pregeometry in cases when the type is not regular. In the end of the paper, we demonstrate our notions and results in one more example: a class built from the p-adic integers.

We generalize winning conditions in two-player games by adding a structural acceptance condition called obligations. Obligations are orthogonal to the linear winning conditions that define whether a play is winning. Obligations are a declaration that player 0 can achieve a certain value from a configuration. If the obligation is met, the value of that configuration for player 0 is 1.

We define the value in such games and show that obligation games are determined. For Markov chains with Borel objectives and obligations, and finite turn-based stochastic parity games with obligations we give an alternative and simpler characterization of the value function. Based on this simpler definition we show that the decision problem of winning finite turn-based stochastic parity games with obligations is in NP∩co-NP. We also show that obligation games provide a game framework for reasoning about p-automata.

The derivation on the differential-valued field Tlog of logarithmic transseries induces on its value group ${{\rm{\Gamma }}_{{\rm{log}}}}$ a certain map ψ. The structure ${\rm{\Gamma }} = \left( {{{\rm{\Gamma }}_{{\rm{log}}}},\psi } \right)$ is a divisible asymptotic couple. In [7] we began a study of the first-order theory of $\left( {{{\rm{\Gamma }}_{{\rm{log}}}},\psi } \right)$ where, among other things, we proved that the theory $T_{{\rm{log}}} = Th\left( {{\rm{\Gamma }}_{{\rm{log}}} ,\psi } \right)$ has a universal axiomatization, is model complete and admits elimination of quantifiers (QE) in a natural first-order language. In that paper we posed the question whether Tlog has NIP (i.e., the Non-Independence Property). In this paper, we answer that question in the affirmative: Tlog does have NIP. Our method of proof relies on a complete survey of the 1-types of Tlog, which, in the presence of QE, is equivalent to a characterization of all simple extensions ${\rm{\Gamma }}\left\langle \alpha \right\rangle$ of ${\rm{\Gamma }}$. We also show that Tlog does not have the Steinitz exchange property and we weigh in on the relationship between models of Tlog and the so-called precontraction groups of [9].

A narrow system is a combinatorial object introduced by Magidor and Shelah in connection with work on the tree property at successors of singular cardinals. In analogy to the tree property, a cardinal κ satisfies the narrow system property if every narrow system of height κ has a cofinal branch. In this paper, we study connections between the narrow system property, square principles, and forcing axioms. We prove, assuming large cardinals, both that it is consistent that ℵω+1 satisfies the narrow system property and $\square _{\aleph _\omega , < \aleph _\omega } $ holds and that it is consistent that every regular cardinal satisfies the narrow system property. We introduce natural strengthenings of classical square principles and show how they can be used to produce narrow systems with no cofinal branch. Finally, we show that the Proper Forcing Axiom implies that every narrow system of countable width has a cofinal branch but is consistent with the existence of a narrow system of width ω1 with no cofinal branch.

We prove several equivalences and relative consistency results regarding generic absoluteness beyond Woodin’s ${\left( {{\bf{\Sigma }}_1^2} \right)^{{\rm{u}}{{\rm{B}}_\lambda }}}$ generic absoluteness result for a limit of Woodin cardinals λ. In particular, we prove that two-step $\exists ^ℝ \left( {{\rm{\Pi }}_1^2 } \right)^{{\rm{uB}}_\lambda } $ generic absoluteness below a measurable limit of Woodin cardinals has high consistency strength and is equivalent, modulo small forcing, to the existence of trees for ${\left( {{\bf{\Pi }}_1^2} \right)^{{\rm{u}}{{\rm{B}}_\lambda }}}$ formulas. The construction of these trees uses a general method for building an absolute complement for a given tree T assuming many “failures of covering” for the models $L\left( {T,{V_\alpha }} \right)$ for α below a measurable cardinal.

Given a countable o-minimal theory T, we characterize the Borel complexity of isomorphism for countable models of T up to two model-theoretic invariants. If T admits a nonsimple type, then it is shown to be Borel complete by embedding the isomorphism problem for linear orders into the isomorphism problem for models of T. This is done by constructing models with specific linear orders in the tail of the Archimedean ladder of a suitable nonsimple type.

If the theory admits no nonsimple types, then we use Mayer’s characterization of isomorphism for such theories to compute invariants for countable models. If the theory is small, then the invariant is real-valued, and therefore its isomorphism relation is smooth. If not, the invariant corresponds to a countable set of reals, and therefore the isomorphism relation is Borel equivalent to F2.

Combining these two results, we conclude that $\left( {{\rm{Mod}}\left( T \right), \cong } \right)$ is either maximally complicated or maximally uncomplicated (subject to completely general model-theoretic lower bounds based on the number of types and the number of countable models).

Monadic second order logic and linear temporal logic are two logical formalisms that can be used to describe classes of infinite words, i.e., first-order models based on the natural numbers with order, successor, and finitely many unary predicate symbols.

Monadic second order logic over infinite words (S1S) can alternatively be described as a first-order logic interpreted in ${\cal P}\left( \omega \right)$, the power set Boolean algebra of the natural numbers, equipped with modal operators for ‘initial’, ‘next’, and ‘future’ states. We prove that the first-order theory of this structure is the model companion of a class of algebras corresponding to a version of linear temporal logic (LTL) without until.

The proof makes crucial use of two classical, nontrivial results from the literature, namely the completeness of LTL with respect to the natural numbers, and the correspondence between S1S-formulas and Büchi automata.

Let ${\cal F}$ =(F; +, .,0, 1, D) be a differentially closed field. We consider the question of definability of the derivation D in reducts of ${\cal F}$ of the form ${\cal F}$R = (F; +, .,0, 1, P)P ε R where R is some collection of definable sets in ${\cal F}$. We give examples and nonexamples and establish some criteria for definability of D. Finally, using the tools developed in the article, we prove that under the assumption of inductiveness of Th (${\cal F}$R) model completeness is a necessary condition for definability of D. This can be seen as part of a broader project where one is interested in finding Ax-Schanuel type inequalities (or predimension inequalities) for differential equations.

We introduce the notion of ${\cal C}$-system of filters, generalizing the standard definitions of both extenders and towers of normal ideals. This provides a framework to develop the theory of extenders and towers in a more general and concise way. In this framework we investigate the topic of definability of generic large cardinals properties.

We discuss the connection between decidability of a theory of a large algebraic extensions of ${\Bbb Q}$ and the recursiveness of the field as a subset of a fixed algebraic closure. In particular, we prove that if an algebraic extension K of ${\Bbb Q}$ has a decidable existential theory, then within any fixed algebraic closure $\widetilde{\Bbb Q}$ of ${\Bbb Q}$, the field K must be conjugate over ${\Bbb Q}$ to a field which is recursive as a subset of the algebraic closure. We also show that for each positive integer e there are infinitely many e-tuples $\sigma \in {\text{Gal}}\left( {\Bbb Q} \right)^e $ such that the field $\widetilde{\Bbb Q}\left( \sigma \right)$ is primitive recursive in $\widetilde{\Bbb Q}$ and its elementary theory is primitive recursively decidable. Moreover, $\widetilde{\Bbb Q}\left( \sigma \right)$ is PAC and ${\text{Gal}}\left( {\widetilde{\Bbb Q}\left( \sigma \right)} \right)$ is isomorphic to the free profinite group on e generators.

We develop technology for investigation of natural forcing extensions of the model $L\left( \mathbb{R} \right)$ which satisfy such statements as “there is an ultrafilter” or “there is a total selector for the Vitali equivalence relation”. The technology reduces many questions about ZF implications between consequences of the Axiom of Choice to natural ZFC forcing problems.

We study the uniform computational content of Ramsey’s theorem in the Weihrauch lattice. Our central results provide information on how Ramsey’s theorem behaves under product, parallelization, and jumps. From these results we can derive a number of important properties of Ramsey’s theorem. For one, the parallelization of Ramsey’s theorem for cardinality n ≥ 1 and an arbitrary finite number of colors k ≥ 2 is equivalent to the n-th jump of weak Kőnig’s lemma. In particular, Ramsey’s theorem for cardinality n ≥ 1 is ${\bf{\Sigma }}_{n + 2}^0$-measurable in the effective Borel hierarchy, but not ${\bf{\Sigma }}_{n + 1}^0$-measurable. Secondly, we obtain interesting lower bounds, for instance the n-th jump of weak Kőnig’s lemma is Weihrauch reducible to (the stable version of) Ramsey’s theorem of cardinality n + 2 for n ≥ 2. We prove that with strictly increasing numbers of colors Ramsey’s theorem forms a strictly increasing chain in the Weihrauch lattice. Our study of jumps also shows that certain uniform variants of Ramsey’s theorem that are indistinguishable from a nonuniform perspective play an important role. For instance, the colored version of Ramsey’s theorem explicitly includes the color of the homogeneous set as output information, and the jump of this problem (but not the uncolored variant) is equivalent to the stable version of Ramsey’s theorem of the next greater cardinality. Finally, we briefly discuss the particular case of Ramsey’s theorem for pairs, and we provide some new separation techniques for problems that involve jumps in this context. In particular, we study uniform results regarding the relation of boundedness and induction problems to Ramsey’s theorem, and we show that there are some significant differences with the nonuniform situation in reverse mathematics.

The following will be shown: Let I be a σ-ideal on a Polish space X so that the associated forcing of I+${\bf{\Delta }}_1^1$ sets ordered by ⊆ is a proper forcing. Let E be a ${\bf{\Sigma }}_1^1$ or a ${\bf{\Pi }}_1^1$ equivalence relation on X with all equivalence classes ${\bf{\Delta }}_1^1$. If for all $z \in {H_{{{\left( {{2^{{\aleph _0}}}} \right)}^ + }}}$, z♯ exists, then there exists an I+${\bf{\Delta }}_1^1$ set C ⊆ X such that E ↾ C is a ${\bf{\Delta }}_1^1$ equivalence relation.

Our main result is the equivalence of two notions of reducibility between structures. One is a syntactical notion which is an effective version of interpretability as in model theory, and the other one is a computational notion which is a strengthening of the well-known Medvedev reducibility. We extend our result to effective bi-interpretability and also to effective reductions between classes of structures.