Uniformization problems and the cofinality of the infinite symmetric group (Q1893135)

For a group \(G\) which is not finitely generated, the cofinality of \(G\), written \(c(G)\), is defined to be the least cardinal \(\lambda\) such that \(G\) is the union of a chain of \(\lambda\) proper subgroups. For an infinite cardinal \(\kappa\), denote \(c(\text{Sym}(\kappa))\) by \(c_ \kappa\). \textit{H. D. Macpherson} and \textit{P. M. Neumann} [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 42, 64-84 (1990; Zbl 0706.20004)] proved that \(c_ \kappa> \kappa\), for any \(\kappa\). In particular, \(\omega< c_ \omega\leq 2^ \omega\); so \(c_ \omega= 2^ \omega\) if the Continuum Hypothesis is true. The authors study the question of computing the value of \(c_ \omega\) in the case when CH is false. They show that \(c_ \omega< 2^ \omega\) is consistent with ZFC. The main result of the paper: Martin's Axiom implies \(c_ \omega= 2^ \omega\). There is a similarity between the problems of computing \(c_ \omega\) and \(\text{cov}({\mathcal B}_ 2)\), the covering number of the Mycielski ideal \({\mathcal B}_ 2\) on \({\mathcal P}(\omega)\). (The ideal \({\mathcal B}_ 2\) is defined to consist of subsets \(X\subseteq {\mathcal P}(\omega)\) such that \({\mathcal P}(A)\neq \{B\cap A: B\in X\}\), for every infinite subset \(A\) of \(\omega\); its covering number is defined to be the least cardinal \(\lambda\) such that \({\mathcal P}(\omega)\) is the union of \(\lambda\) sets in \({\mathcal B}_ 2\).) It is shown, however, that Martin's Axiom does not decide the value of \(\text{cov}({\mathcal B}_ 2)\); namely, \(\text{MA}+\neg \text{CH}+ \text{cov}({\mathcal B}_ 2)= \omega_ 1\) is consistent with ZFC. (The latter result was independently proved by \textit{J. Cichoń}, \textit{A. Rosłanowski}, \textit{J. Steprāns} and \textit{B. Wȩglorz} [J. Symb. Logic 58, 42-54 (1993; Zbl 0782.03024)].) The authors study some related questions (the so-called uniformization principles) to analyze the difference between the two problems.