The set of elementary substructures of a model of PA, under the inclusion relation, form a lattice. The lattice problem for models of PA asks which lattices can be represented as substructure lattices of some model of PA. This question dates back to Gaifman’s work on minimal types, which showed that the two element chain can be represented as a substructure lattice. Since then, there have been many important contributions to this problem, including by Paris, Wilkie, Mills, and Schmerl, though no complete picture has yet emerged. Studying this question involves knowledge of models of PA as well as some nontrivial lattice theory and combinatorics. In my talk, I will survey some of the major results and, if there’s time, give an idea of the techniques used to study this question.

Slides from this talk.