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22 votes
5 answers
1k views

What is the spectrum of possible cofinality types for cuts in an ordered field? Or in a model of the hyperreals? Or in a nonstandard model of arithmetic?

I am interested to know the full range of possibilities for the cofinality type of cuts in an ordered field and in other structures, such as nonstandard models of arithmetic. Definitions. ...
Joel David Hamkins's user avatar
22 votes
4 answers
2k views

Non-ZFC set theory and nonuniqueness of the hyperreals: problem solved?

The reals are the unique complete ordered field. The hyperreals $\mathbb{R}^*$ are not unique in ZFC, and many people seemed to think this was a serious objection to them. Abraham Robinson responded ...
user avatar
20 votes
2 answers
2k views

Is non-existence of the hyperreals consistent with ZF?

I know that it is possible to construct the hyperreal number system in ZFC by using the axiom of choice to obtain a non-principal ultrafilter. Would the non-existence of a set of hyperreals be ...
Arseniy Sheydvasser's user avatar
20 votes
5 answers
2k views

Isomorphism types or structure theory for nonstandard analysis

My question is about nonstandard analysis, and the diverse possibilities for the choice of the nonstandard model R*. Although one hears talk of the nonstandard reals R*, there are of course many non-...
Joel David Hamkins's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
313 views

Transfinitely iterating the Levi-Civita, Hahn or Puiseux constructions

This question was originally asked at MSE but seems too advanced, so I'm reposting it here. In short, the idea is that many constructions for non-Archimedean fields can naturally be iterated, in some ...
Mike Battaglia's user avatar
6 votes
5 answers
2k views

Standard models of N and R: An Alice/Bob approach

This is a question about a comment in a recent publication by Roman Kossak. Kossak wrote: "Nonstandardness in set theory has a different nature. In arithmetic, there is one intended object of ...
Mikhail Katz's user avatar
  • 16.6k
6 votes
1 answer
327 views

Cofinality of infinitesimals

Suppose $\kappa$ is an infinite cardinal and $U$ is a countably incomplete uniform ultrafilter over $\kappa$. Then $\mathbb R^\kappa/U$ is nonstandard. What is the cofinality of the set of ...
Monroe Eskew's user avatar
  • 18.6k
5 votes
1 answer
220 views

What is the theory of computably saturated models of ZFC with an *externally well-founded* predicate?

For any model of $M$ of ZFC, we can extend it to a model $M_{ew}$ with an "externally well-founded" predicate $ew$. For $x \in M$, We say that $M_{ew} \vDash ew(x)$ when there is no infinite ...
Christopher King's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
314 views

Is there a model of ZF+ACC where transfer fails for the definable hyperreals?

In 2003 Kanovei and Shelah constructed a definable hyperreal field. The ultrapower used exploits a fairly large index set so that it is clear that the usual proof of Los and transfer does not go ...
Mikhail Katz's user avatar
  • 16.6k