Amalgamation properties and finite models in \(L^n\)-theories (Q1407532)

The authors extend a result of \textit{M. Djordjević} [J. Symb. Log. 66, 837-858 (2001; Zbl 0992.03041)], namely that a complete relational stable \(L^n\)-theory with amalgamation over sets and finite \(S^n_n\) has a finite model, and every finite set in an infinite model is contained in an \(L^n\)-elementary finite substructure. In particular, they prove the result for general languages (allowing functions), and weaken the amalgamation hypothesis to amalgamation over closed sets, the joint embedding property, plus the property (H1) that two closed tuples with the same \(L^n\)-type over an \(L^n\)-elementary substructure \(N\) have the same \(L^n\)-type together with \(N\), over \(\text{cl}(\emptyset)\). Closure here can be trivial, closure under the functions of the language, or some other suitable closure inside the algebraic closure. In a second section they show that for a stable \(L^n\)-theory with the amalgamation property and (H1), a finite model has arbitrarily large finite \(L^n\)-elementary extensions if and only if it has an infinite one. The proofs are straightforward from a close inspection of Djordjević's arguments.