Questions tagged [set-theory]
forcing, large cardinals, descriptive set theory, infinite combinatorics, cardinal characteristics, forcing axioms, ultrapowers, measures, reflection, pcf theory, models of set theory, axioms of set theory, independence, axiom of choice, continuum hypothesis, determinacy, Borel equivalence relations, Boolean-valued models, embeddings, orders, relations, transfinite recursion, set theory as a foundation of mathematics, the philosophy of set theory.
1,111 questions
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Uncountable family of infinite subsets with pairwise finite intersections
I am searching for a constructive proof of the following fact: If $X$ is an infinite set, there exists an uncountable family $(X_\alpha)_{\alpha \in A}$ of infinite subsets of $X$ such that $X_\alpha \...
- 8,559
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2
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Are there known examples of sets whose power set is equal in size to power set of larger sets only in absence of choice?
The question of existence of sets $x,y$ such that
$$|x|<|y| \wedge |P(x)|=|P(y)|$$
is known to be independent of $\text{ZFC}$!
But are there known examples of sets fulfilling the above condition
...
- 11.3k
8
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2
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Is there one binary operation foundational for set theory?
The membership relationship "$\in$" is foundational for set theory, in the sense that the axioms of any set theory are formulated in the language of "$\in$". Naturally, the ...
- 889
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Tractability of forcing-invariant statements under large cardinals
It is usual to mention theorems of the kind:
Th. Assume there is a proper class of Woodin cardinals, $\mathbb{P} $ is a partial order and $G \subseteq \mathbb{P}$ is V-generic, then $V \models \phi \...
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1
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A criterion for second countability
Let $(X,\tau)$ be a topological space.
Assume for any arbitrary topological base $\mathcal{E}$ of $\tau$ we have that: the Borel sigma algebras coming form $\mathcal{E}$ and $\tau$ are the same. ...
- 4,058
8
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4
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Are there $2^{\aleph_0}$ pairwise non-isomorphic Boolean algebra structures on $\omega$?
Is there a collection of $2^{\aleph_0}$ pairwise non-isomorphic countable Boolean algebras?
Equivalently, are there $2^{\aleph_0}$ pairwise non-homeomorphic closed subsets in the Cantor space?
- 48.9k
7
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1
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536
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Is $\in$-induction provable in first order Zermelo set theory?
Are there models of first order Zermelo set theory (axiomatized by: Extensionaity, Foundation, empty set, pairing, set union, power, Separation, infinity) in which $\in$-induction fail?
I asked this ...
- 11.3k
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0
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How distributive are the fake Laver tables?
The Laver table $A_{n}$ is the unique algebra $(\{1,...,2^{n}\},*)$ such that $x*1=x+1$ for $1\leq x<2^{n}$, $2^{n}*1=1$, and $x*(y*z)=(x*y)*(x*z)$.
Let's now replace the Laver table $A_{n}$ with ...
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2
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Mutually generics
Given posets $P,Q\in M$, I would like to know under what circumstances there are mutually generic filters $G\subseteq P$ and $H\subseteq Q$ (generic over $M$). Also, what are the characterizations of ...
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Sets of reals and absoluteness
Schoenfield's absoluteness states that if $\phi$ is $\Sigma^1_2$ then $V\models \phi$ iff $L\models \phi$. The set of reals in $L$ is $\Sigma^1_2$ and it is the largest countable $\Sigma^1_2$ set of ...
- 3,804
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Can the Cohen forcing collapse cardinals?
Let $\kappa$ be a regular cardinal, and let $\mathbb{P} = Add(\kappa,1)$ be the standard forcing notion for adding a new subset of $\kappa$ using partial function from $\kappa$ to $2$ with domain of ...
- 5,112
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What is lost in General Relativity without Hahn-Banach axiom in the ZF+HB set theory?
In the same spirit of this question:
How much of mathematical General Relativity depends on the Axiom of Choice?
I want to go radically further ahead and ask for what remains of mathematical general ...
- 612
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Improving a Lindstrom-y fact about $\mathcal{L}_{\omega_1,\omega}$?
See e.g. the last section of Ebbinghaus/Flum/Thomas for the relevant background on abstract model theory. Below, all languages are finite for simplicity. "$HC$" is the set of hereditarily ...
- 21.2k
4
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1
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245
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Strongly minimal covers
Let $H=(V,E)$ be a hypergraph, that is $V$ is a set and $E\subseteq \mathcal{P}(V)$. We say that $C\subseteq E$ is a cover of $H$ if $\bigcup C = V$.
A cover $M\subseteq E$ is said to be strongly ...
- 48.9k
4
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1
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The property of the dense subfilter of a selective ultrafilter
Let us define the density of subset $A\subset\omega$ :
$$\rho(A)=\lim_{n\to\infty}\frac{|A\cap n|}{n}$$
if the limit exists. Let $\mathcal{F_1}=\{A\subset\omega~|~\rho(A)=1\}$. $\mathcal{F_1}$ is the ...
- 1,133
4
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2
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Mapping between Notations
$\DeclareMathOperator{\address}{address}$
As in my other question, it is assumed that the (total) function describing a given notation is denoted as $\address:p \rightarrow \Bbb{N}$ and assumed to be ...
- 881
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Ordinal analysis and nonrecursive ordinals
Ordinal analysis is typically described as characterizing recursive ordinals in a theory $T$, but there is a sense in which it can characterize all $T$-ordinals, even those that are nonrecursive.
...
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2
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709
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Extendibility vs supercompactness
The following quotes comes from "Cantor's Attic"'s page on supercompacts:
If κ is $|V_{κ+η}|$-supercompact with $η<κ$ then it is preceeded by a stationary set of $η$-extendible cardinals. If $κ$ ...
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1
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Does adding definability axiom expressed in infinitary language to ZF, let all models be pointwise definable?
This posting is generally related to a prior posting titled "Are all constructible from below sets parameter free definable?"
If we work in infinitary language $\mathcal L_{\omega_1, \omega}$...
- 11.3k
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1
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Does $|(X\times\{0\}) \cup (X\times\{1\})| \leq |X|$ for $X$ infinite imply ${\sf AC}$?
Consider the statement
For any infinite set $X$ there is an injection $\varphi$ from $(X\times\{0\}) \cup (X\times\{1\})$ into $X$.
Does this imply the ${\sf AC}$?
- 48.9k
2
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1
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Compactness and completeness in Gödel logic
The standard proof of the completeness theorem in first-order Gödel logic is based
on a first-order countable language. I want to know that is there any proof of the completeness theorem in first-...
- 49
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4
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Does there exist a bijection of $\mathbb{R}^n$ to itself such that the forward map is connected but the inverse is not?
Let $(X,\tau), (Y,\sigma)$ be two topological spaces. We say that a map $f: \mathcal{P}(X)\to \mathcal{P}(Y)$ between their power sets is connected if for every $S\subset X$ connected, $f(S)\subset Y$ ...
- 39k
79
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12
answers
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What practical applications does set theory have?
I am a non-mathematician. I'm reading up on set theory. It's fascinating, but I wonder if it's found any 'real-world' applications yet. For instance, in high school when we were learning the ...
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8
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Category theory and set theory: just a different language, or different foundation of mathematics?
This is a question to research mathematicians, as well as to those concerned with the history and philosophy of mathematics.
I am asking for a reference. In order to make the reference request as ...
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13
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Logic in mathematics and philosophy
What are the relations between logic as an area of (modern) philosophy and mathematical logic.
The world "modern" refers to 20th century and later, and I am curious mainly about the second ...
- 24.7k
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7
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Does anyone still seriously doubt the consistency of $ZFC$?
As someone self-taught in set theory beginning with Donald Monk’s excellent book on MK set theory, $ZFC$ has always seemed like a weak set theory.
Despite this, the majority of professional ...
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Is the ultraproduct concept fundamentally category-theoretic?
Once again, I would like to take advantage of the large number of knowledgable category theorists on this site for a question I have about category-theoretic aspects of a fundamental logic concept.
My ...
- 236k
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3
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Does every real function have this weak continuity property?
In my research I came across the following question :
Is it true that for every real function $f:\mathbb{R}\to\mathbb{R}$, there exists a real sequence $(x_n)_n$, taking infinitely many values, ...
- 4,074
49
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1
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Producing finite objects by forcing!
It is a trivial fact that forcing can not produce finite sets of ground model objects. However there are situations,
where we can use forcing to prove the existence of finite objects with some ...
- 32.1k
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Set theory and Model Theory
This question probably doesn't make any sense, but I don't see why, so I ask it here hoping someone will illuminate the matter:
There is this whole area of study in Set Theory about the consistency, ...
- 1,219
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Do the analogies between metamathematics of set theory and arithmetic have some deeper meaning?
By "formal analogies" between the metamathematics of $\mathsf{ZFC}$/set theory and $\mathsf{PA}$(=Peano Arithmetic)/first order arithmetic, I mean facts such as the following:
We are considering a ...
- 32.5k
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Is V, the Universe of Sets, a fixed object?
When I first read Set Theory by Jech, I came under the impression that the Universe of Sets, $V$ was a fixed, well defined object like $\pi$ or the Klein four group. However as I have read on, I am ...
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A “mother of all groups”? What kind of structures have "mother of all"s?
For ordered fields, we have a “mother of all ordered fields”, the surreal numbers $\mathbf{No}$, a proper-class “field” which includes (an isomorphic copy of) every other ordered field as a subfield. ...
- 1,687
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3
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The set-theoretic multiverse as a (bi)category
Joel Hamkin's The set-theoretic multiverse has featured in MO questions before, e.g., here and here. But I was wondering about the best category theoretic angle to take on it.
In the paper Joel ...
- 5,094
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6
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Does finite mathematics need the axiom of infinity?
A statement referring to an infinite set can sometimes be logically rephrased using only finite sets/objects. For example, "The set of primes is infinite" <-> "There is no largest prime". ...
- 11.3k
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Are there examples of statements that have been proven whose consistency proofs came before their proofs?
I'm wondering if there are examples of statements that have been proven whose consistency proofs came before the proofs of the statements themselves.
More informally, I'm wondering how promising in ...
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Is it consistent with ZF that $V \to V^{\ast \ast}$ is always an isomorphism?
Let $k$ be a field and $V$ a $k$-vector space. Then there is a map $V \to V^{\ast \ast}$, where $V^{\ast}$ is the dual vector space. If we are in ZFC and $\dim V$ is infinite, then this map is not ...
- 156k
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Are all sets totally ordered ?
The question is the title.
Working in ZF, is it true that: for every nonempty set X, there exists a total order on X ?
If it is false, do we have an example of a nonempty set that has no total ...
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What would remain of current mathematics without axiom of power set? [closed]
The power set of every infinite set is uncountable. An infinite set (as an element of the power set) cannot be defined by writing the infinite sequence of its elements but only by a finite formula. By ...
user34913
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Is it still an open problem whether $\mathbb{R}^\omega$ is normal in the box topology?
On page 205 of his Topology textbook, James Munkres made an interesting remark:
It is not known whether $\mathbb{R}^\omega$ is normal in the box topology. Mary-Ellen Rudin has shown that the answer ...
- 4,597
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2
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Can we interpret arithmetic in set theory, with exactly PA as the ZFC provable consequences?
There are many interpretations of arithmetic in set theory. The
Zermelo interpretation, for example, begins with the empty set and applies the singleton operator as successor:
$$0=\{\ \}$$
$$1=\{0\}$$
...
- 236k
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How can category theory help my research in set theory?
How can category theory help my research in set theory?
I rarely use category theory as such in my current work, and one almost never sees any category theory in set-theoretic research papers or at ...
- 236k
31
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Unique existence and the axiom of choice
The axiom of choice states that arbitrary products of nonempty sets are nonempty.
Clearly, we only need the axiom of choice to show the non-emptiness of the product if
there are infinitely many ...
31
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2
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Does Fermat's last theorem hold in the ordinals?
My question is whether there are no nontrivial solutions in the ordinals of the equations arising in Fermat's last theorem $$x^n+y^n=z^n$$
where $n\gt 2$, and where we use the natural ordinal ...
- 236k
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Defining the standard model of PA so that a space alien could understand
First, some context. In one of the comments to an answer to the recent question Why not adopt the constructibility axiom V=L? I was directed to some papers of Nik Weaver at this link, on ...
- 18.7k
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Does $\operatorname{Con}\sf(ZF)$ imply $\operatorname{Con}\sf(ZF + \operatorname{Aut}{\bf C = Z/\mathrm 2Z})$?
How many field automorphisms does $\mathbf{C}$ have? If you assume the axiom of choice, there are tons of them -- $2^{2^{\aleph_0}}$, I believe. And what if you don't -- how essential is the axiom ...
- 4,487
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Are $\mathbb{C}$ and $\overline{\mathbb{Q}}_p$ isomorphic?
There is a famous passage on the third page of Deligne's second paper on the Weil conjectures where he expresses his dislike of the axiom of choice, as manifested in the isomorphism between $\mathbb{C}...
28
votes
4
answers
3k
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Integration in the surreal numbers
In the appendix to ONAG (2nd edition), Conway points that the definition of integration (using Riemann sums as left and right options) gives the "wrong" answer : $\int_0^\omega \exp(t)\thinspace dt=\...
- 3,630
27
votes
2
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2k
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A set that can be covered by arbitrarily small intervals
Let $X$ be a subset of the real line and $S=\{s_i\}$ an infinite sequence of positive numbers. Let me say that $X$ is $S$-small if there is a collection $\{I_i\}$ of intervals such that the length of ...
- 32.4k
27
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4
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Nilradicals without Zorn's lemma
It's well known that the nilradical of a commutative ring with identity $A$ is the intersection of all the prime ideals of $A$.
Every proof I found (e.g. in the classical "Commutative Algebra" by ...
- 1,042