# Topic Archive: approximation and cover

Set theory seminarFriday, October 26, 201212:00 amGC 6417

# Preservation of DC delta by forcing with a closure point at delta

The New York City College of Technology (CityTech), CUNY

Richard Laver [2007] showed that if M satisfies ZFC and G is any M-generic filter for forcing P of size less than delta, then M is definable in M[G] from parameter P(delta)^M. I will discuss a generalization of this result for models M that satisfy ZF but only a small fragment of the axiom of choice. This is joint work with Victoria Gitman.

Definition (ZF). P*Q has closure point delta if P is well-orderable of size at most delta and Q is <=delta strategically closed. (Q need not be well-orderable here.) Theorem: If M models ZF+DC_delta and P is forcing with closure point delta, then M is definable in M[G] from parameter P(delta)^M.

Set theory seminarFriday, October 19, 201212:00 amGC 6417

# Definability of the ground model in forcing extensions of ZF-models

The New York City College of Technology (CityTech), CUNY

Richard Laver [2007] showed that if M satisfies ZFC and G is any M-generic filter for forcing P of size less than delta, then M is definable in M[G] from parameter P(delta)^M. I will discuss a generalization of this result for models M that satisfy ZF but only a small fragment of the axiom of choice. This is joint work with Victoria Gitman.

Definition (ZF). P*Q has closure point delta if P is well-orderable of size at most delta and Q is <=delta strategically closed. (Q need not be well-orderable here.) Theorem: If M models ZF+DC_delta and P is forcing with closure point delta, then M is definable in M[G] from parameter P(delta)^M.

The City University of New York
Professor Hamkins (Ph.D. 1994 UC Berkeley) conducts research in mathematical and philosophical logic, particularly set theory, with a focus on the mathematics and philosophy of the infinite.  He has been particularly interested in the interaction of forcing and large cardinals, two central themes of contemporary set-theoretic research.  He has worked in the theory of infinitary computability, introducing (with A. Lewis and J. Kidder) the theory of infinite time Turing machines, as well as in the theory of infinitary utilitarianism and, more recently, infinite chess.  His work on the automorphism tower problem lies at the intersection of group theory and set theory.  Recently, he has been preoccupied with various mathematical and philosophical issues surrounding the set-theoretic multiverse, engaging with the emerging debate on pluralism in the philosophy of set theory, as well as the mathematical questions to which they lead, such as in his work on the modal logic of forcing and set-theoretic geology.