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Monroe Eskew
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stationary tower forcing

It is known that if $\delta$ is a Woodin cardinal and $\kappa < \delta$, then the stationary tower forcing $\mathbb Q^\kappa_{<\delta}$ preserves cardinals up to $\kappa$ and forces $\delta = \kappa^+$. Thus if there is a Woodin cardinal $\delta$ then there is a forcing preserving cardinals up to $\aleph_\omega$ and making $\delta = \aleph_{\omega+1}$. But it is also known that $\mathbb Q^\kappa_{<\delta}$ is not $\delta$-c.c.

Question: Is there some large cardinal assumption that implies the existence of a cardinal $\kappa > \aleph_{\omega+1}$ and a $\kappa$-c.c. forcing $\mathbb P$ which preserves $\aleph_n$ for finite $n$ and makes $\kappa = \aleph_{\omega+1}$?

I'm no expert on these things, but naively I would suggest two possible approaches: (a) Find a large cardinal $\delta$ that implies the existence of a $\delta$-saturated tower of ideals with similar effects as the stationary tower. (b) Find an inaccessible cardinal $\delta$ with a precipitous tower of ideals of height $\delta$ that preserves the $\aleph_n$'s but actually collapses $\delta$, so that $\delta^+$ is the witness.

Note: It is consistent relative to large cardinals that there is some $\kappa$-c.c. forcing collapsing a regular $\kappa$ to be $\aleph_{\omega+1}$ while preserving cardinals below $\aleph_\omega$. Namely an $\aleph_{\omega+2}$-saturated ideal on $\aleph_{\omega+1}$, which can be forced from a huge cardinal. But I want to see if it is outright implied by large cardinals, because then it is much easier to combine with other things.

Monroe Eskew
  • 18.6k
  • 5
  • 53
  • 114