English

Universality: new criterion for non-existence

Logic 2022-03-15 v2

Abstract

We find new "reasons" for a class of models for not having a universal model in a cardinal λ\lambda. This work, though it has consequences in model theory, is really in combinatorial set theory. We concentrate on a prototypical class which is a simply defined class of models, of combinatorial character - models of TceqT_{\rm ceq} (essentially another representation of TfeqT_{\rm feq} which was already considered but the proof with TceqT_{\rm ceq} is more transparent). Models of TceqT_{\rm ceq} consist essentially of an equivalence relation on one set and a family of choice functions for it. This class is not simple (in the model theoretic sense) but seems to be very low among the non-simple (first order complete countable) ones. We give sufficient conditions for the non-existence of a universal model for it in λ\lambda. This work is continued in [Sh:F2071].

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2108.06727,
  title  = {Universality: new criterion for non-existence},
  author = {Saharon Shelah},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2108.06727},
  year   = {2022}
}

Comments

24 pages, after referee report

R2 v1 2026-06-24T05:07:41.370Z