Skip to main content
1 of 5
Zetapology
  • 675
  • 4
  • 13

A Weak form of Extendibility and Inner Model Theory

Let a cardinal $\kappa$ be $n$-shadow iff $\kappa$ does not have cofinality $\omega$ and for any false $n$-th order sentence $\varphi$ in the language $\mathcal{L}_\in$, $V_\kappa\models\neg\varphi$.

The property of being $0$-shadow is (much) weaker than being Mahlo; in fact, much weaker than $\text{Ord is Mahlo}$.

The property of being $n$-shadow is also (much, much, much) weaker than being $n$-extendible. Furthermore, if there is an $n$-extendible cardinal, then $\text{Con}(\text{ZFC}^2+n\text{-shadow})$.


The reason I bring this up is because of the interesting properties of $1$-shadow cardinals when given an inner model $M$ of ZFC.

Assuming $M$ is an inner model and there is a $1$-shadow cardinal in $M$, then there is no nontrivial elementary embedding from $M$ into itself (in most cases this is equivalent to it's sharp not existing).

So, if $0^{\#}$ exists then there are no $1$-shadow cardinals in $L$. If $0^{\dagger}$ exists then there are no $1$-shadow cardinals in $L[U]$ for the standard $U$.

Specifically, if there is a nontrivial elementary embedding from $K$ into itself, then no cardinal is $1$-shadow in $K$, even though it should be that every uncountable cardinal has most large cardinal properties in $K$ if such an embedding exists, because of the tendencies of the core models.


Questions: What is the consistency strength of $n$-shadow cardinals? What properties result from these properties of inner models?

Zetapology
  • 675
  • 4
  • 13