English

How strong is Ramsey's theorem if infinity can be weak?

Logic 2021-01-19 v2

Abstract

We study the first-order consequences of Ramsey's Theorem for kk-colourings of nn-tuples, for fixed n,k2n, k \ge 2, over the relatively weak second-order arithmetic theory RCA0\mathrm{RCA}^*_0. Using the Chong-Mourad coding lemma, we show that in a model of RCA0+¬IΣ10\mathrm{RCA}^*_0 + \neg \mathrm{I}\Sigma^0_1, RTkn\mathrm{RT}^n_k is equivalent to its own relativization to any proper Σ10\Sigma^0_1-definable cut, so its truth value remains unchanged in all extensions of the model with the same first-order universe. We give an axiomatization of the first-order consequences of RCA0+RTkn\mathrm{RCA}^*_0 + \mathrm{RT}^n_k for n3n \ge 3. We show that they form a non-finitely axiomatizable subtheory of PA whose Π3\Pi_3 fragment is BΣ1+exp\mathrm{B}\Sigma_1 + \exp and whose Π+3\Pi_{\ell+3} fragment for 1\ell \ge 1 lies between IΣBΣ+1\mathrm{I}\Sigma_\ell \Rightarrow \mathrm{B}\Sigma_{\ell+1} and BΣ+1\mathrm{B}\Sigma_{\ell+1}. We also consider the first-order consequences of RCA0+RTk2\mathrm{RCA}^*_0 + \mathrm{RT}^2_k. We show that they form a subtheory of IΣ2\mathrm{I}\Sigma_2 whose Π3\Pi_3 fragment is BΣ1+exp\mathrm{B}\Sigma_1 + \exp and whose Π4\Pi_4 fragment is strictly weaker than BΣ2\mathrm{B}\Sigma_2 but not contained in IΣ1\mathrm{I}\Sigma_1. Additionally, we consider a principle Δ20\Delta^0_2-RT22\mathrm{RT}^2_2, defined like RT22\mathrm{RT}^2_2 but with both the 22-colourings and the solutions allowed to be Δ20\Delta^0_2-sets. We show that the behaviour of Δ20\Delta^0_2-RT22\mathrm{RT}^2_2 over RCA0+BΣ20\mathrm{RCA}_0 + \mathrm{B}\Sigma^0_2 is similar to that of RT22\mathrm{RT}^2_2 over RCA0\mathrm{RCA}^*_0, and that RCA0+BΣ20+Δ20\mathrm{RCA}_0 + \mathrm{B}\Sigma^0_2 + \Delta^0_2-RT22\mathrm{RT}^2_2 is Π4\Pi_4- but not Π5\Pi_5-conservative over BΣ2\mathrm{B}\Sigma_2. However, the statement we use to witness lack of Π5\Pi_5-conservativity is not provable in RCA0+RT22\mathrm{RCA}_0 +\mathrm{RT}^2_2.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2011.02550,
  title  = {How strong is Ramsey's theorem if infinity can be weak?},
  author = {Leszek Aleksander Kołodziejczyk and Katarzyna W. Kowalik and Keita Yokoyama},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2011.02550},
  year   = {2021}
}

Comments

20 pages. Appendix with proof of proof-theoretic lemma added. Minor editorial changes throughout the text

R2 v1 2026-06-23T19:55:27.672Z