What's the difference between ZFC+Grothendieck, ZFC+inaccessible cardinals and Tarski-Grothendieck set theory? - MathOverflow

What's the difference between ZFC+Grothendieck, ZFC+inaccessible cardinals and Tarski-Grothendieck set theory?

2012-07-22T00:38:00Z

Say that "U" is the axiom that "For each set x, there exists a Grothendieck universe U such that x $\in$ U", where Grothendieck universes are defined in the usual way (or, if that's unclear, in this way). Also, say that "Ca" is the axiom that "For each cardinal κ, there is a strongly inaccessible cardinal $\lambda$ which is strictly larger than κ."

It's known that ZFC+U and ZFC+Ca are completely equivalent and prove the same sentences. A sentence is a theorem of ZFC+U iff it's a theorem of ZFC+Ca.

In addition to the above, there's also Tarski-Grothendieck set theory, which can be found here. The axioms of TG are

The axiom stating everything is a set
The axiom of extensionality from ZFC
The axiom of regularity from ZFC
The axiom of pairing from ZFC
The axiom of union from ZFC
The axiom schema of replacement from ZFC
Tarski's axiom A

Tarski's axiom A states that for any set $x$, there exists a set $y$ containing, $x$ itself, every subset of every member of $y$, the power set of every member of $y$, and every subset of $y$ of cardinality less than $y$.

These three axioms from ZFC are then implied as theorems of TG:

The axiom of infinity
The axiom of power set
The axiom schema of specification
The axiom of choice

My question is as follows: is TG also completely equivalent to ZFC+U and ZFC+Ca, equivalent in the same sense that something is a theorem of TG iff it's a theorem of the other two? Is TG just an axiomatization of ZFC+U/ZFC+Ca which removes redundant axioms and allows them to just be theorems? Or is there some subtle difference between TG and ZFC+U/ZFC+Ca, in that there's some sentence which TG proves that's undecidable in ZFC+U/ZFC+Ca or vice versa?

In other words, instead of typing ZFC+Grothendieck, can I just type TG and be referencing a different axiomatization of the exact same thing?

Answer by Trevor Wilson for What's the difference between ZFC+Grothendieck, ZFC+inaccessible cardinals and Tarski-Grothendieck set theory?

2012-07-22T01:10:38Z

Yes. Assume ZFC. If there is a proper class of inaccessible cardinals, then Tarski's Axiom A holds because whenever $\kappa$ is inaccessible, the rank initial segment $V_\kappa$ of $V$ is a Tarski set. Conversely, if Tarski's Axiom A holds then for every set $x$ there is a Tarski set $y$ with $x \in y$. We will show that $|y|$ is an inaccessible cardinal greater than $|x|$, proving the existence of a proper class of inaccessible cardinals.

To show that the cardinality $\kappa$ of $y$ is a strong limit cardinal, given $\zeta < \kappa$ we take a subset $z$ of $y$ of size $\zeta$. We have $z \in y$ because $y$ contains its small subsets. Then we have $\mathcal{P}(z) \in y$ because $y$ is closed under the power set operation. Finally $\mathcal{P}(\mathcal{P}(z)) \subset y$ because $y$ contains all subsets of its elements. This shows that $2^{2^{\zeta}} \le \kappa$ and therefore that $2^{\zeta} < \kappa$.

To show that the cardinality $\kappa$ of $y$ is regular, notice that if $\kappa$ is singular then by the closure of $y$ under small subsets we can get a family of $\kappa^{cof(\kappa)}$ many distinct sets in $y$, contradicting the fact that $\kappa^{cof( \kappa)} > \kappa$ (which is an instance of Koenig's Theorem.)

Answer by Gérard Lang for What's the difference between ZFC+Grothendieck, ZFC+inaccessible cardinals and Tarski-Grothendieck set theory?

2012-08-08T21:36:08Z

This is not an answer, but a repetition of my linked questions already stated in http://mathoverflow.net/questions/28389. 1/ Is it possible to dispense with axiom 4 (the axiom of pairing from ZF(C)) to develop the Tarski-Grothendieck (TG) set theory? 2/ Does anybody know how to prove the 16 equivalences between conditions of axioms A and A' of Tarski ? Gérard Lang