On recursive functions and regressive isols (Q1823238)

The set of isols, which is an extension of the set of natural numbers, was introduced by J. C. E. Dekker. Since then the isols have been studied by various people such as A. Nerode and E. Ellentuck. Extension procedures for relations on the natural numbers to relations on the isols have been defined. Nerode showed that although universal Horn sentences are preserved, various sentences are not preserved. The authors have been interested in regressive isols which form a subset of the set of all isols. J. Barback has written many papers on what happens to extensions in the special case of regressive isols. In general, a recursive function on the natural numbers extends to a partial function rather than a total function on the regressive isols. The first main result gives a necessary and sufficient condition for a regressiv isol to be in the domain of such an extension. Another form of ``pathology'' is the fact that the range of an extension of a function is not necessarily the same as the extension of the range. The other main theorem of the paper gives a sufficient condition for equality.