我们在不使用选择公理（Axiom of Choice，AC）的情况下，研究基数的几种良基性概念，其中部分概念被一些作者混淆，我们对其进行了仔细区分。随后我们探讨这些概念之间的蕴含关系，以及它们与选择公理其他推论之间的关系。例如，我们证明分划原理（Partition Principle）蕴含我们所有版本的良基性是等价的；我们还证明其中一个关于满射的版本蕴含对偶康托尔-伯恩斯坦定理（Dual Cantor-Schröder-Bernstein theorem）。曾有人猜想，某一形式的良基性实际上蕴含选择公理，但该猜想仍未解决。
英文摘要：
We consider several notions of well-foundedness of cardinals in the absence of the Axiom of Choice. Some of these have been conflated by some authors, but we separate them carefully. We then consider implications among these, and also between these and other consequences of Choice. For instance, we show that the Partition Principle implies that all of our versions of well-foundedness are equivalent. We also show that one version, concerning surjections, implies the Dual Cantor-Schröder-Bernstein theorem. It has been conjectured that well-foundedness, in one form or another, actually implies the Axiom of Choice, but this conjecture remains unresolved.
For a cardinal $\mathfrak{a}$, let $\mathrm{fin}(\mathfrak{a})$ be the cardinality of the set of all finite subsets of a set which is of cardinality $\mathfrak{a}$. It is proved without the aid of the axiom of choice that for all infinite cardinals $\mathfrak{a}$ and all natural numbers $n$, \[ 2^{\mathrm{fin}(\mathfrak{a})^n}=2^{[\mathrm{fin}(\mathfrak{a})]^n}. \] On the other hand, it is proved that the following statement is consistent with $\mathsf{ZF}$: there exists an infinite cardinal $\mathfrak{a}$ such that \[ 2^{\mathrm{fin}(\mathfrak{a})}<2^{\mathrm{fin}(\mathfrak{a})^2}<2^{\mathrm{…
By Easton's theorem one can force the exponential function on regular cardinals to take rather arbitrary cardinal values provided monotonicity and Koenig's lemma are respected. In models without choice we employ a "surjective" version of the exponential function. We then prove a choiceless Easton's theorem: one can force the surjective exponential function on all infinite cardinals to take arbitrary cardinal values, provided monotonicity and Cantor's theorem are satisfied, irrespective of cofinalities.
This paper contributes to the theory of large cardinals beyond the Kunen inconsistency, or choiceless large cardinal axioms, in the context where the Axiom of Choice is not assumed. The first part of the paper investigates a periodicity phenomenon: assuming choiceless large cardinal axioms, the properties of the cumulative hierarchy turn out to alternate between even and odd ranks. The second part of the paper explores the structure of ultrafilters under choiceless large cardinal axioms, exploiting the fact that these axioms imply a weak form of the author's Ultrapower Axiom. The third and fin…
We show that in Zermelo-Fraenkel Set Theory without the Axiom of Choice a surjectively modified continuum function $θ(κ)$ can take almost arbitrary values for all infinite cardinals. This choiceless version of Easton's Theorem is in sharp contrast to the situation in ZFC, where for singular cardinals $κ$, the value of $2^κ$ is strongly influenced by the behaviour of the continuum function below. Our construction can roughly be described as follows: In a ground model $V \models ZFC + GCH$ with a "reasonable" function $F: Card \rightarrow Card$ on the infinite cardinals, a class forcing ${\mathb…
We introduce the notion of a critical cardinal as the critical point of sufficiently strong elementary embedding between transitive sets. Assuming the axiom of choice this is equivalent to measurability, but it is well-known that choice is necessary for the equivalence. Oddly enough, this central notion was never investigated on its own before. We prove a technical criterion for lifting elementary embeddings to symmetric extensions, and we use this to show that it is consistent relative to a supercompact cardinal that there is a critical cardinal whose successor is singular.
We mainly investigate model of set theory with restricted choice, e.g., ZF + DC + "the family of countable subsets of lambda is well ordered for every lambda" (really local version for a given lambda). In this frame much of pcf theory can be generalized. E.g., there is a class of regular cardinals, and we can prove cardinal inequality.
In other work we have outlined how, building on ideas of Welch and Roberts, one can motivate believing in the existence of supercompact cardinals. After making this observation we strove to formulate a justification for large-cardinal axioms of greater strength, and arrived at a motivation for a new large-cardinal property, which we define here and prove to be equivalent to the property of being a Vopěnka scheme cardinal. Making use of this result, one can also show that a theory $B_0(V_0)$ described in a previous paper of Victoria Marshall implies the existence of a Vopěnka scheme cardinal $κ…
Assume ZFC. Let $κ$ be a cardinal. A ${<κ}$-ground is a transitive proper class $W$ modelling ZFC and such that $V$ is a generic extension of $W$ via a forcing $\mathbb{P}\in W$ of cardinality ${<κ}$. The $κ$-mantle is the intersection of all ${<κ}$-grounds. We prove that certain partial choice principles in the $κ$-mantle are the consequence of $κ$ being inaccessible/weakly compact, and some other related facts.
We show that in the theory ZF + DC + for every cardinal λ, the set of infinite subsets of λ is well-ordered (i.e., Shelah's AX4), the θ-function measuring the surjective size of the powersets P(κ) can take almost arbitrary values on any set of uncountable cardinals. This complements our results from [FK16], where we prove that in ZF (without DC), any possible behavior of the θ-function can be realized; and answers a question of Shelah in [She16], where he emphasizes that ZF + DC + AX4 is a reasonable theory, where much of set theory and combinatorics is possible.
Jech proved that every partially ordered set can be embedded into the cardinals of some model of $ZF$. We extend this result to show that every partially ordered set can be embedded into the cardinals of some model of $ZF+DC_{<κ}$ for any regular $κ$. We use this theorem to show that for all $κ$, the assumption of $DC_κ$ does not entail that there are no decreasing chains of cardinals. We also show how to extend the result to and embed into the cardinals a proper class which is definable over the ground model. We use this extension to give a large cardinals-free proof of independence of the we…
Working in the context of restricted forms of the Axiom of Choice, we consider the problem of splitting the ordinals below $λ$ of cofinality $θ$ into $λ$ many stationary sets, where $θ< λ$ are regular cardinals. This is a continuation of \cite{Sh835}.
We will consider a number of new large-cardinal properties, the $α$-tremendous cardinals for each limit ordinal $α>0$, the hyper-tremendous cardinals, the $α$-enormous cardinals for each limit ordinal $α>0$, and the hyper-enormous cardinals. For limit ordinals $α>0$, the $α$-tremendous cardinals and hyper-tremendous cardinals have consistency strength between I3 and I2. An $ω$-enormous cardinal has consistency strength greater than I0, and also all the large-cardinal axioms discussed in the second part of Hugh Woodin's paper on suitable extender models, not known to be inconsistent with ZFC an…
There is no single canonical polynomial-time version of the Axiom of Choice (AC); several statements of AC that are equivalent in Zermelo-Fraenkel (ZF) set theory are already inequivalent from a constructive point of view, and are similarly inequivalent from a complexity-theoretic point of view. In this paper we show that many classical formulations of AC, when restricted to polynomial time in natural ways, are equivalent to standard complexity-theoretic hypotheses, including several that were of interest to Selman. This provides a unified view of these hypotheses, and we hope provides additio…
We introduce a general theory of functions called Flow. We prove ZF, non-well founded ZF and ZFC can be immersed within Flow as a natural consequence from our framework. The existence of strongly inaccessible cardinals is entailed from our axioms. And our first important application is the introduction of a model of Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory where the Partition Principle (PP) holds but not the Axiom of Choice (AC). So, Flow allows us to answer to the oldest open problem in set theory: if PP entails AC.
We give a brief survey on the interplay between forcing axioms and various other non-constructive principles widely used in many fields of abstract mathematics, such as the axiom of choice and Baire's category theorem. First of all we outline how, using basic partial order theory, it is possible to reformulate the axiom of choice, Baire's category theorem, and many large cardinal axioms as specific instances of forcing axioms. We then address forcing axioms with a model-theoretic perspective and outline a deep analogy existing between the standard Łoś Theorem for ultraproducts of first order s…
We combine several folklore observations to provide a working framework for iterating constructions which contradict the axiom of choice. We use this to define a model in which any kind of structural failure must fail with a proper class of counterexamples. For example, the rational numbers have a proper class of non-isomorphic algebraic closures, every partial order embeds into the cardinals of the model, every set is the image of a Dedekind-finite set, every weak choice axiom of the form $\mathsf{AC}_X^Y$ fails with a proper class of counterexamples, every field has a vector space with two l…
Assume ZF (without the Axiom of Choice). Let $j:V_\varepsilon\to V_δ$ be a non-trivial $\in$-cofinal $Σ_1$-elementary embedding, where $\varepsilon,δ$ are limit ordinals. We prove some restrictions on the constructibility of $j$ from $V_δ$, mostly focusing on the case $\varepsilon=δ$. In particular, if $\varepsilon=δ$ and $j\in L(V_δ)$ then $δ$ has cofinality $ω$. However, assuming ZFC+I$_3$, with the appropriate $\varepsilon=δ$, one can force to get such $j\in L(V^{V[G]}_δ)$. Assuming Dependent Choice and that $δ$ has cofinality $ω$ (but not assuming $V=L(V_δ)$), and $j:V_δ\to V_δ$ is $Σ_1$-e…
In the absence of the Axiom of Choice, the "small" cardinal $ω_1$ can exhibit properties more usually associated with large cardinals, such as strong compactness and supercompactness. For a local version of strong compactness, we say that $ω_1$ is $X$-strongly compact (where $X$ is any set) if there is a fine, countably complete measure on $\mathcal{P}_{ω_1}(X)$. Working in $\mathsf{ZF} + \mathsf{DC}$, we prove that the $\mathcal{P}(ω_1)$-strong compactness and $\mathcal{P}(\mathbb{R})$-strong compactness of $ω_1$ are equiconsistent with $\mathsf{AD}$ and $\mathsf{AD}_\mathbb{R} + \mathsf{DC}$…
