Minimal universes (Q1328494)

The setting for this paper is Gödel-Bernays class theory. A structure \(\langle M, A \rangle\) is said to be a model of ZFC if \(M\) is a model of ZFC in which replacement holds for formulae which use \(A \subseteq M\) as a unary predicate. An inner model \(M\) is said to be minimal if there is a class \(A\) such that \(\langle M, A \rangle\) is amenable yet has no transitive proper elementary submodel. \(M\) is said to be strongly minimal on a club if there is a club \(C\) such that \(\langle M, C \rangle\) is amenable and \(\alpha \in C \to \langle V^ M_{\alpha}, C \cap \alpha \rangle\) is not a model of ZFC. If \(M_ 1 \subseteq M_ 2\) are inner models then \(M_ 2\) is said to be a locally generic extension of \(M_ 1\) if every \(x \in M_ 2\) belongs to a set-generic extension of \(M_ 1\). The main result of this paper is that if \(V\) is strongly minimal on a club and \(0^{\#}\) exists, then there is a minimal and locally generic extension of \(L\). The proof involves backwards Easton forcing. A special case of the theorem is when \(V\) is the minimal model of \(\text{ZFC}+ 0^{\#}\) exists; then the theorem provides an inner model which is minimal and does not contain \(0^{\#}\).