Lascar rank and the finite cover property for complete theories of unars (Q1346925)

The paper is concerned with stability for complete theories of unars (namely structures in a language with a unique 1-ary operation symbol \(f)\). First Lascar \(U\)-rank is studied for such a theory \(T\); in particular it is shown that if \(T\) has a finite depth, then the maximal \(U\)-rank of types in \(T\) just equals this depth. Secondly, the author deals with the finite cover property f.c.p., and provides a description of the complete theories \(T\) of unars without this property (an alternative proof of this result was given by the reviewer in Ill. J. Math. 35, 434-450 (1991; Zbl 0716.03027)); here, whenever \(T\) has f.c.p., a formula witnessing it is explicitly written. Finally the author shows that, when \(T\) contains the sentence \[ \forall v \left( \bigvee_{n < m < N} \bigl( f^ n(v) = f^ m(v) \bigr) \right) \] for some positive integer \(N\), then \(T\) fails to have f.c.p. if and only if \(T\) is \(\omega_ 1\)-categorical, and, in this case, can be expanded to a totally categorical theory in a larger language with two new relation symbols.