A computably enumerable many-one degree with no least finite-one degree
Abstract
Richter, Stephan, and Zhang asked whether every nonrecursive many-one degree contains a least finite-one degree. We solve this question in the negative, already within the class of computably enumerable many-one degrees. Positive answers are known in two disjoint natural settings: for a measure-one and comeager class of -rigid sets, and, in a companion paper, for computably enumerable many-one degrees containing a -maximal set. We construct a nonrecursive \ce\ set such that for every set there exists a c.e.\ set with . Hence the many-one degree of contains no least finite-one degree. The proof is a finite-injury priority construction based on virtual target sets and a dynamic trap mechanism forcing any putative finite-one reduction either to violate finite-oneness or to compute an incorrect reduction.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2604.10879,
title = {A computably enumerable many-one degree with no least finite-one degree},
author = {Patrizio Cintioli},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2604.10879},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
14 pages. Companion paper on D-maximal c.e. many-one degrees