The present status of the problems in my book "Cardinal Invariants on Boolean algebras" (Birkhauser 1996) is described, with a description of solutions or partial solutions, and references.
Boolean ultrapowers extend the classical ultrapower construction to work with ultrafilters on any complete Boolean algebra, rather than only on a power set algebra. When they are well-founded, the associated Boolean ultrapower embeddings exhibit a large cardinal nature, and the Boolean ultrapower construction thereby unifies two central themes of set theory---forcing and large cardinals---by revealing them to be two facets of a single underlying construction, the Boolean ultrapower.
Using Koszmider's strongly unbounded functions, we show the following consistency result: Suppose that $κ,λ$ are infinite cardinals such that $κ^{+++} \leq λ$, $κ^{<κ}=κ$ and $2^κ= κ^+$, and $η$ is an ordinal with $κ^+\leq η<κ^{++}$ and $cf(η) = κ^+$. Then, in some cardinal-preserving generic extension there is a superatomic Boolean algebra $B$ such that - $ht(B) = η+ 1$, - the cardinality of the $α$th level of $B$ is $κ$ for every $α<η$, - and the cardinality of the $η$th level of $B$ is $λ$ Especially, $\<ω\>_{ω_1}\concatenation \<ω_3\>$ and $\<ω_1\>_{ω_2}\concatenation \<ω_4\>$ can be cardi…
We prove that for any superatomic Boolean Algebra of cardinality >beth_omega there is an automorphism moving uncountably many atoms. Similarly for larger cardinals. Any of those results are essentially best possible.
We deal with some of problems posed by Monk and related to cardinal invariant of ultraproducts of Boolean algebras. We also introduce and investigate some new cardinal invariants.
We give a definition of some classes of boolean algebras generalizing free boolean algebras; they satisfy a universal property that certain functions extend to homomorphisms. We give a combinatorial property of generating sets of these algebras, which we call n -independent. The properties of these classes (n-free and omega-free boolean algebras) are investigated. These include connections to hypergraph theory and cardinal invariants on these algebras. Related cardinal functions, n Ind, which is the supremum of the cardinalities of n-independent subsets; i_n, the minimum size of a maximal n -i…
This article is devoted to two different generalizations of projective Boolean algebras: openly generated Boolean algebras and tightly sigma-filtered Boolean algebras. We show that for every uncountable regular cardinal kappa there are 2^kappa pairwise non-isomorphic openly generated Boolean algebras of size kappa > aleph_1 provided there is an almost free non-free abelian group of size kappa. The openly generated Boolean algebras constructed here are almost free. Moreover, for every infinite regular cardinal kappa we construct 2^kappa pairwise non-isomorphic Boolean algebras of size kappa tha…
We construct Boolean Algebras answering questions of Monk on cardinal invariants. The results are proved in ZFC (rather than giving consistency results). We deal with the existence of superatomic Boolean Algebras with ``few automorphisms'', with entangled sequences of linear orders, and with semi-ZFC examples of the non-attainment of the spread (and hL, hd).
How many endomorphisms does a Boolean algebra have? Can we find Boolean algebras with as few endomorphisms as possible? Of course from any ultrafilter of the Boolean algebra we can define an endomorphism, and we can combine finitely many such endomorphisms in some reasonable ways. We prove that in any cardinality lambda=lambda^ {aleph_0} there is a Boolean algebra with no other endomorphisms. For this we use the so called "black boxes", but in a self contained way. We comment on how necessary the restriction on the cardinal is.
We give a necessary and sufficient condition for an atomless Boolean algebra to be countably generated, and use it to give new proofs of some some know facts due to Gaifman-Hales and Solovay and also due to Jech, Kunen and Magidor. We also show that Jensen's coding theorem can be used to provide cardinal preserving countably generated complete Boolean algebras of arbitrary large cardinality. This answers a question of Jech [5] from 1976.
Let C denote any of the following cardinal characteristics of Boolean algebras: incomparability, spread, character, pi-character, hereditary Lindelof number, hereditary density. It is shown to be consistent that there exists a sequence <B_i:i<kappa> of Boolean algebras and an ultrafilter D on kappa such that C(prod_{i<kappa}B_i/D)<|prod_{i<kappa}C(B_i)/D|. This answers a number of problems posed by Monk.
We consider homogeneity properties of Boolean algebras that have nonprincipal ultrafilters which are countably generated.It is shown that a Boolean algebra B is homogeneous if it is the union of countably generated nonprincipal ultrafilters and has a dense subset D such that for every a in D the relative algebra B restriction a:= {b in B:b <= a} is isomorphic to B. In particular, the free product of countably many copies of an atomic Boolean algebra is homogeneous. Moreover, a Boolean algebra B is homogeneous if it satisfies the following conditions: (i) B has a countably generated ultrafilter…
We introduce a large cardinal property which is consistent with L and show that for every superatomic Boolean algebra B and every cardinal lambda with the large cardinal property, if tightness^+(B) >= lambda^+, then depth (B) >= lambda. This improves a theorem of Dow and Monk.
If $A$ is an infinite Boolean algebra the cardinal invariant $\mathfrak{a}(A)$ is defined as the smallest size of an infinite partition of $A$. The cardinal $\mathfrak{a}(A\oplus B)$, where $A\oplus B$ is the free product of the Boolean algebras $A$ and $B$ (whose dual topological space is the product of the dual topological spaces of $A$ and $B$), is below both $\mathfrak{a}(A)$ and $\mathfrak{a}(B)$. The equality $\mathfrak{a}(A\oplus B)=\min\lbrace\mathfrak{a}(A),\mathfrak{a}(B)\rbrace$ is not known to hold for all infinite Boolean algebras $A$ and $B$. Here some lower bounds of $\mathfrak{…
We give a simplified proof of a theorem of M. Rabus and S. Shelah claiming that for each cardinal mu there is a c.c.c Boolean algebra with topological density mu.
We show that the Depth^+ of an ultraproduct of Boolean Algebras, can not jump over the Depth^+ of every component by more than one cardinality. We can have, consequently, similar results for the Depth invariant.
A subset $A$ of a Boolean algebra $B$ is said to be $(n,m)$-reaped if there is a partition of unity $P \subset B$ of size $n$ such that the cardinality of $\{b \in P: b \wedge a \neq \emptyset\}$ is greater than or equal to $m$ for all $a\in A$. The reaping number $r_{n,m}(B)$ of a Boolean algebra $B$ is the minimum cardinality of a set $A \subset B\setminus \{0\}$ such which cannot be $(n,m)$-reaped. It is shown that, for each $n \in ω$, there is a Boolean algebra $B$ such that $r_{n+1,2}(B) \neq r_{n,2}(B)$. Also, $\{r_{n,m}(B) : \{n,m\}\subseteqω\}$ consists of at most two consecutive integ…
Let inv denote the cardinal invariants Depth^+ and Length^+ on Boolean algebras. For many singular cardinals we create a strict inequality between the product of the inv values and the inv of the product algebra. The proof holds in ZFC.
We give a definition of some classes of boolean algebras generalizing free boolean algebras; they satisfy a universal property that certain functions extend to homomorphisms. We give a combinatorial property of generating sets of these algebras, which we call n-independent. The properties of these classes (n-free and omega-free boolean algebras) are investigated. These include connections to hypergraph theory and cardinal invariants on these algebras. Related cardinal functions, $n$Ind, which is the supremum of the cardinalities of n-independent subsets; i_n, the minimum size of a maximal n-in…
We prove that assuming suitable cardinal arithmetic, if B is a Boolean algebra every homomorphic image of which is isomorphic to a factor, then B has locally small density. We also prove that for an (infinite) Boolean algebra B, the number of subalgebras is not smaller than the number of endomorphisms, and other related inequalities. Lastly we deal with the obtainment of the supremum of the cardinalities of sets of pairwise incomparable elements of a Boolean algebra.
We investigate reflection-type problems on the class SPM, of Boolean algebras carrying strictly positive finitely additive measures. We show, in particular, that in the constructible universe there is a Boolean algebra $\mathfrak A$ which is not in SPM but every subalgebra of $\mathfrak A$ of cardinality $\mathfrak c$ admits a strictly positive measure. This result is essentially due to Farah and Velickovic.
We address several questions of Donald Monk related to irredundance and spread of Boolean algebras, gaining both some ZFC knowledge and consistency results. We show in ZFC that irr(B_0 times B_1)= max(irr(B_0),irr(B_1)). We prove consistency of the statement ``there is a Boolean algebra B such that irr(B)<s(B otimes B)'' and we force a superatomic Boolean algebra B_* such that s(B_*)=inc(B_*)=kappa, irr(B_*)=Id(B_*)=kappa^+ and Sub(B_*)=2^(kappa^+). Next we force a superatomic algebra B_0 such that irr(B_0)<inc(B_0) and a superatomic algebra B_1 such that t(B_1)>Aut(B_1). Finally we show that …
We study the consistency and consistency strength of various configurations concerning the cardinal characteristics $\mathfrak{s}_θ,\mathfrak{p}_θ,\mathfrak{g}_θ,\mathfrak{r}_θ,\mathfrak{t}_θ$ at uncountable regular cardinals $θ$. Motivated by a theorem of Raghavan-Shelah who proved that $\mathfrak{s}_θ\leq\mathfrak{b}_θ$, we explore in the first part of the paper the consistency of inequalities comparing $\mathfrak{s}_θ$ with $\mathfrak{p}_θ$ and $\mathfrak{g}_θ$. In the second part of the paper we study variations of the extender-based Radin forcing to establish several consistency results c…
For I a proper, countably complete ideal on P(X) for some set X, can the quotient Boolean algebra P(X)/I be complete? This question was raised by Sikorski in 1949. By a simple projection argument as for measurable cardinals, it can be assumed that X is an uncountable cardinal kappa, and that I is a kappa-complete ideal on P(kappa) containing all singletons. In this paper we provide consequences from and consistency results about completeness.
We give a unified treatment of the model theory of various enrichments of infinite atomic Boolean algebras, with special attention to quantifier-eliminations, complete axiomatizations and decidability. A classical example is the enrichment by a predicate for the ideal of finite sets, and a novel one involves predicates giving congruence conditions on the cardinality of finite sets. We focus on three examples, and classify them by expressive power.
We investigate the sequential topology $τ_s$ on a complete Boolean algebra $B$ determined by algebraically convergent sequences in $B$. We show the role of weak distributivity of $B$ in separation axioms for the sequential topology. The main result is that a necessary and sufficient condition for $B$ to carry a strictly positive Maharam submeasure is that $B$ is ccc and that the space $(B,τ_s)$ is Hausdorff. We also characterize sequential cardinals.
A function f from reals to reals (f:R->R) is almost continuous (in the sense of Stallings) iff every open set in the plane which contains the graph of f contains the graph of a continuous function. Natkaniec showed that for any family F of continuum many real functions there exists g:R->R such that f+g is almost continuous for every f in F. Let AA be the smallest cardinality of a family F of real functions for which there is no g:R->R with the property that f+g is almost continuous for every f in F. Thus Natkaniec showed that AA is strictly greater than the continuum. He asked if anything more…
We prove several consistency results concerning the notion of $ω$-strongly measurable cardinal in HOD. In particular, we show that is it consistent, relative to a large cardinal hypothesis weaker than $o(κ) = κ$, that every successor of a regular cardinal is $ω$-strongly measurable in HOD.
Let "ex" be the cardinality of the smallest independent family of subsets of omega (independent means that all nontrivial Boolean combinations are infinite) which cannot be extended to a homogeneous independent family. "Homogeneous" means that every finite partial map (points to points, sets to sets) that is compatible with the family is induced by a permutation of omega. Despite its apparently ``complex'' (second order) definition, this cardinal is equal to a well-known ``simple'' cardinal invariant from Cichon's diagram.
We prove the consistency with ZFC of ``the length of an ultraproduct of Boolean algebras is smaller than the ultraproduct of the lengths''. Similarly for some other cardinal invariants of Boolean algebras.
This paper deals with variety of problems in pcf theory and infinitary combinatorics. We look at normal filters and prc, measures of the size of [lambda]^{<kappa}, pcf-inaccessibility, entangled orders (and narrow Boolean Algebras), measuring prod_{i<kappa}f(i) by a family of ideals and a family of sequences <B_i:i<kappa> with |B_i|<mu_i, and finally we deal with the existence of strongly almost disjoint families.
We prove the consistency of irr(prod limits_{i<kappa}B_i/D)< prod limits_{i<kappa}irr(B_i)/D, where D is an ultrafilter on kappa and each B_i is a Boolean Algebra. This solves the last problem of this form from the Monk's list of problems, that is number 35. The solution applies to many other properties, e.g., Souslinity. Next, we get similar results with kappa = aleph_1 (easily we cannot have it for kappa=aleph_0) and Boolean Algebras B_i (i< kappa) of cardinality < beth_{omega_1}.
An interval algebra is a Boolean algebra which is isomorphic to the algebra of finite unions of half-open intervals, of a linearly ordered set. An interval algebra is hereditary if every subalgebra is an interval algebra. We answer a question of M. Bekkali and S. Todorčević, by showing that it is consistent that every $σ$-centered interval algebra of size $\mathfrak{b}$ is hereditary. We also show that there is, in ZFC, an hereditary interval algebra of cardinality $\aleph_1.$
We prove that for every singular cardinal mu of cofinality omega, the complete Boolean algebra compP_mu(mu) contains as a complete subalgebra an isomorphic copy of the collapse algebra Comp Col(omega_1,mu^{aleph_0}). Consequently, adding a generic filter to the quotient algebra P_mu(mu)=P(mu)/[mu]^{<mu} collapses mu^{aleph_0} to aleph_1. Another corollary is that the Baire number of the space U(mu) of all uniform ultrafilters over mu is equal to omega_2. The corollaries affirm two conjectures by Balcar and Simon. The proof uses pcf theory.
We present a collection of observations and results concerning submeasures on Boolean algebras. They are all motivated by Maharam's problem and Talagrand's construction that solved it.
We answer three problems by J. D. Monk on cardinal invariants of Boolean algebras. Two of these are whether taking the algebraic density pi(A), resp. the topological density d(A), of a Boolean algebra A commutes with formation of ultraproducts; the third one compares the number of endomorphisms and of ideals of a Boolean algebra.
Following D. Sobota we call a family $\mathcal F$ of infinite subsets of $\mathbb N$ a Rosenthal family if it can replace the family of all infinite subsets of $\mathbb N$ in classical Rosenthal's Lemma concerning sequences of measures on pairwise disjoint sets. We resolve two problems on Rosenthal families: every ultrafilter is a Rosenthal family and the minimal size of a Rosenthal family is exactly equal to the reaping cardinal $\mathfrak r$. This is achieved through analyzing nowhere reaping families of subsets of $\mathbb N$ and through applying a paving lemma which is a consequence of a p…
We show that it is consistent with ZFC (relative to large cardinals) that every infinite Boolean algebra B has an irredundant subset A such that 2^{|A|} = 2^{|B|}. This implies in particular that B has 2^{|B|} subalgebras. We also discuss some more general problems about subalgebras and free subsets of an algebra. The result on the number of subalgebras in a Boolean algebra solves a question of Monk. The paper is intended to be accessible as far as possible to a general audience, in particular we have confined the more technical material to a ``black box'' at the end. The proof involves a vari…
We prove a compactness theorem for full Boolean-valued models. As an application, we show that if $T$ is a complete countable theory and $\mathcal{B}$ is a complete Boolean algebra, then $λ^+$-saturated $\mathcal{B}$-valued models of $T$ exist. Moreover, if $\mathcal{U}$ is an ultrafilter on $T$ and $\mathbf{M}$ is a $λ^+$-saturated $\mathcal{B}$-valued model of $T$, then whether or not $\mathbf{M}/\mathcal{U}$ is $λ^+$-saturated just depends on $\mathcal{U}$ and $T$; we say that $\mathcal{U}$ $λ^+$-saturates $T$ in this case. We show that Keisler's order can be formulated as follows: $T_0 \tr…
The structure of quotient Boolean algebras in terms of cardinal invariants is investigated. Some results of Gitik and Shelah regarding atomless ideals are reproved and proofs are significantly simplified.
We investigate the structure of ultrafilters on Boolean algebras in the framework of Tukey reducibility. In particular, this paper provides several techniques to construct ultrafilters which are not Tukey maximal. Furthermore, we connect this analysis with a cardinal invariant of Boolean algebras, the ultrafilter number, and prove consistency results concerning its possible values on Cohen and random algebras.
The following results are proved: (a) In a model obtained by adding aleph_2 Cohen reals, there is always a c.c.c. complete Boolean algebra without the weak Freese-Nation property. (b) Modulo the consistency strength of a supercompact cardinal, the existence of a c.c.c. complete Boolean algebras without the weak Freese-Nation property consistent with GCH. (c) Under some consequences of the negation of 0^#, the weak Freese-Nation property of (P(omega),subseteq) is equivalent to the weak Freese-Nation property of any of C(kappa) or R(kappa) for uncountable kappa. (d) Modulo consistency of (aleph_…
We address a number of problems on Boolean Algebras. For example, we construct, in ZFC, for any BA B, and cardinal kappa BAs B_1,B_2 extending B such that the depth of the free product of B_1,B_2 over B is strictly larger than the depths of B_1 and of B_2 than kappa. We give a condition (for lambda, mu and theta) which implies that for some BA A_theta there are B_1=B^1_{lambda, mu, theta} and B_2B^2_{lambda, mu, theta} such that Depth (B_t) <= mu and Depth (B_1 oplus_{A_theta} B_1) >= lambda. We then investigate for a fixed A, the existence of such B_1,B_2 giving sufficient and necessary condi…
The notion of overlap algebra introduced by G. Sambin provides a constructive version of complete Boolean algebra. Here we first show some properties concerning overlap algebras: we prove that the notion of overlap morphism corresponds classically to that of map preserving arbitrary joins; we provide a description of atomic set-based overlap algebras in the language of formal topology, thus giving a predicative characterization of discrete locales; we show that the power-collection of a set is the free overlap algebra join-generated from the set. Then, we generalize the concept of overlap alge…
We show that a statement concerning the existence of winning strategies of limited memory in an infinite two-person topological game is equivalent to a weak version of the Singular Cardinals Hypothesis.
We solve four out of the six open problems concerning critical cardinalities of topological diagonalization properties involving tau-covers, show that the remaining two cardinals are equal, and give a consistency result concerning this remaining cardinal. Consequently, 21 open problems concerning potential implications between these properties are settled. We also give structural results based on the combinatorial techniques.
Under the assumption that the continuum c is a regular cardinal, we prove the existence and uniqueness of a Boolean algebra B of size c defined by sharing the main structural properties that P(N)/fin has under CH and in the aleph2-Cohen model. We prove a similar result in the category of Banach spaces.
We discuss the Borel Tukey ordering on cardinal invariants of the continuum. We observe that this ordering makes sense for a larger class of cardinals than has previously been considered. We then provide a Borel version of a large portion of van Douwen's diagram. For instance, although the usual proof of the inequality $\mathfrak p\leq\mathfrak b$ does not provide a Borel Tukey map, we show that in fact there is one. Afterwards, we revisit a result of Mildenberger concerning a generalization of the unsplitting and splitting numbers. Lastly, we show that the inclusion ordering on $\mathcal P(ω)…
Let $\mathbb{B}$ be a complete Boolean algebra. We show, as an application of a previous result of the author, that if $λ$ is an infinite cardinal and $\mathbb{B}$ is weakly $(λ^ω, ω)$-distributive, then $\mathbb{B}$ is $(λ, 2)$-distributive. Using a parallel result, we show that if $κ$ is a weakly compact cardinal such that $\mathbb{B}$ is weakly $(2^κ, κ)$-distributive and $\mathbb{B}$ is $(α, 2)$-distributive for each $α< κ$, then $\mathbb{B}$ is $(κ, 2)$-distributive.
We introduce and study the Congruence Boolean Lifting Property (CBLP) for congruence--distributive universal algebras, as well as a property related to CBLP, which we have called $(\star )$. CBLP extends the so--called Boolean Lifting Properties (BLP) from MV--algebras, BL--algebras and residuated lattices, but differs from the BLP when particularized to bounded distributive lattices. Important classes of universal algebras, such as discriminator varieties, fulfill the CBLP. The main results of the present paper include a characterization theorem for congruence--distributive algebras with CBLP…
We investigate sigma-entangled linear orders and narrowness of Boolean algebras. We show existence of sigma-entangled linear orders in many cardinals, and we build Boolean algebras with neither large chains nor large pies. We study the behavior of these notions in ultraproducts.