The affinity of set theory and abelian group theory. (Q1414984)

Triggered by the rapid development of set theory after the advent of forcing in the sixties, a number of well-known problems from abelian group theory have been solved using sophisticated set-theoretic methods during the past decades. The author surveys the history of the interplay between the two areas, focusing mainly, but not exclusively, on results obtained in the seventies and eighties. Main topics include (1) slenderness and reflexivity, and their connection with measurable cardinals; (2) Whitehead's problem and \textit{S. Shelah}'s result [Isr. J. Math. 18, 243--256 (1974; Zbl 0318.02053)] saying it is independent of ZFC; (3) the existence of almost free groups and an equivalent combinatorial principle; (4) indecomposable groups which can be constructed from the guessing principle ``black box'' which holds in ZFC; as well as several others.