Skip to main content

Questions tagged [model-theory]

Model theory is the branch of mathematical logic which deals with the connection between a formal language and its interpretations, or models.

1 vote
0 answers
41 views

Comparing semiring of formulas and Lindenbaum algebra

This is motivationally related to an earlier question of mine. Given a first-order theory $T$, let $\widehat{D}(T)$ be the semiring defined as follows: Elements of $\widehat{D}(T)$ are equivalence ...
3 votes
1 answer
127 views

Can we see quantifier elimination by comparing semirings?

This question came up while reading the paper Hales, What is motivic measure?. Broadly speaking, I'm interested in which ideas from motivic measure make sense in arbitrary first-order theories (or ...
6 votes
1 answer
245 views

Example of applying real quantifier elimination algorithm for polynomials

Sorry if any of this is unclear, or doesn't make much sense, I'm still trying to figure it out, a practical example such as this would likely help me understand better than anything else. I have read ...
-3 votes
1 answer
325 views

Two equivalent statements about formulas projected onto an Ultrafilter

Question 1: In the same language, let $ X $ be a nonempty set, and let $ \{ (\forall x_{x(i)} f(i)) \ | \ i \in X \} $ be a set of formulas. We use $ x(i) $ to denote the index of the variable on ...
33 votes
15 answers
7k views

What's a magical theorem in logic?

Some theorems are magical: their hypotheses are easy to meet, and when invoked (as lemmas) in the midst of an otherwise routine proof, they deliver the desired conclusion more or less straightaway&...
3 votes
1 answer
299 views

Chevalley's theorem on valuation spectra

In the paper On Valuation Spectra (Section 2, Page 176), Huber and Knebusch asserted that: if the ring map $A\to B$ is finitely presented then the associated map of valuation spectra $\mathrm{Spv}(B)\...
20 votes
1 answer
802 views

Is there a minimal (least?) countably saturated real-closed field?

I heard from a reputable mathematician that ZFC proves that there is a minimal countably saturated real-closed field. I have several questions about this. Is there a soft model-theoretic construction ...
2 votes
0 answers
127 views

On "necessary connectives" in a structure

Given a clone $\mathcal{C}$ over $\{\top,\perp\}$, let $\mathsf{FOL}^\mathcal{C}$ be the version of first-order logic with connectives from $\mathcal{C}$ in place of the usual Booleans. Given a clone $...
9 votes
2 answers
404 views

Can local $0^\#$ exists in L?

Assume $0^\#$ exists and there is an inaccessible cardinal. Are there two transitive sets $M,N$ s.t. $M\in N,M\vDash ZF+V=L[0^\#],N\vDash ZF+V=L$?
8 votes
1 answer
183 views

Mostowski's absoluteness theorem and proving that theories extending $0^\#$ have incomparable minimal transitive models

This question says that the theory ZFC + $0^\#$ has incomparable minimal transitive models. It proves this as follows (my emphasis): [F]or every c.e. $T⊢\text{ZFC\P}+0^\#$ having a model $M$ with $On^...
5 votes
0 answers
174 views

Whence compactness of automorphism quantifiers?

The following question arose while trying to read Shelah's papers Models with second-order properties I-V. For simplicity, I'm assuming a much stronger theory here than Shelah: throughout, we work in $...
8 votes
0 answers
134 views

Is there a substructure-preservation result for FOL in finite model theory?

It's well-known$^*$ that the Los-Tarski theorem ("Every substructure-preserved sentence is equivalent to a $\forall^*$-sentence") fails for $\mathsf{FOL}$ in the finite setting: we can find ...
3 votes
0 answers
93 views

Are "equi-expressivity" relations always congruences on Post's lattice?

Given a clone $\mathcal{C}$ over the set $\{\top,\perp\}$, let $\mathsf{FOL}^\mathcal{C}$ be the version of first-order logic with (symbols corresponding to) elements of $\mathcal{C}$ replacing the ...
38 votes
1 answer
1k views

Rigid non-archimedean real closed fields

Update. The question has been recently answered in the positive by David Marker and Charles Steinhorn (as in indicated in Marker's answer). Note that Remark 3 below is now expanded by reference to a ...
35 votes
4 answers
2k views

Is the field of constructible numbers known to be decidable?

By the field of constructible numbers I mean the union of all finite towers of real quadratic extensions beginning with $\mathbb{Q}$. By decidable I mean the set of first order truths in this field, ...

15 30 50 per page
1
2 3 4 5
82