Semi-Cohen Boolean algebras (Q1371429): Difference between revisions

A Boolean algebra \(B\) is a Cohen algebra if it is dense in the completion of a free Boolean algebra. This can be characterized as follows: \(B\) is Cohen if the set of its countable regular subalgebras contains a closed unbounded set \(C\) such that for each \(A_0\), \(A_1\in C\) also the algebra generated by \(A_0\) and \(A_1\) is in \(C\). Here the authors investigate the classes of semi-Cohen, pseudo-Cohen and potentially Cohen algebras. \(B\) is semi-Cohen (pseudo-Cohen), if its set of countable regular subalgebras contains a closed unbounded (stationary) subset. \(B\) is potentially Cohen, if it is of uniform density and there exists a forcing \(P\) preserving \(\aleph_1\) which forces that \(B\) is Cohen. In this paper the authors give several different characterizations of these classes of Boolean algebras. They show that there exists a pseudo-Cohen algebra which is not semi-Cohen. Further on they show that the continuum hypothesis implies that every potentially Cohen algebra is pseudo-Cohen, whereas Martin's Axiom implies that these classes are different.