The first omega alephs: from simplices to trees of trees to higher walks (Q2054254)

The main goal of the paper under review is to give a new proof and clarify the higher-dimensional infinitary combinatorics of Mitchell's theorem that the cohomological dimension of \(\aleph_n\) is equal to \(n+1\). This paper describes simplicial characteristics of ordinals \(\omega_n\), higher-dimensional generalizations of coherent Aronszajn trees, bases of critical inverse systems over large sets of indices, nontrivial \(n\)-coherent families of functions, and higher-dimensional generalizations of Todorcevic's walks technique. Section 2 is devoted to the background and conventions. It begins with an introduction to the theory of walks developed by \textit{S. Todorcevic} in [Walks on ordinals and their characteristics. Basel: Birkhäuser (2007; Zbl 1148.03004); in: Handbook of set theory. In 3 volumes. Dordrecht: Springer. 215--296 (2010; Zbl 1198.03052)]. Let \((P, \leq)\) be a partially ordered set. A subset \(Q\subseteq P\) is cofinal in \(P\) if for every \(a\in P\) there exists \(b\in Q\) such that \(a\leq b\). Let \((P, \leq)\) be a partially ordered set. A subset \(Q\subseteq P\) is cofinal in \(P\) if for every \(a\in P\) there exists \(b\in Q\) such that \(a\leq b\). Let \((L, \leq)\) be a totally ordered set. The order topology on \(L\) is defined as the smallest topology containing the set of all open intervals \((a, b)= \{x | a< x <b\}\) where \(a, b\in L\). A \(C\)-sequence on an ordinal \(\gamma\) is a family \({\mathcal C}= \{C_{\beta} | \beta < \gamma\}\) in which each \(C_{\beta}\) is a closed (with respect to the order topology) cofinal subset of \(\beta\). With respect to some fixed \(C\)-sequence \({\mathcal C} = \{C_{\beta} | \beta\in \gamma\}\), for any \(\alpha \leq \beta < \gamma\) the upper trace of the walk from \(\beta\) down to \(\alpha\) is recursively defined as follows: \[ Tr(\alpha, \beta) = \{\beta\} \cup Tr(\alpha, \min(C_{\beta} \setminus\alpha)), \] with the boundary condition that \(Tr(\alpha, \alpha) = \{\alpha\}\) for all \(\alpha < \gamma\). The walk from \(\beta\) to \(\alpha\) can be thought of as its upper trace, or a collection of steps between its successive elements. The number of steps function \(\rho_2\) sends any \(\alpha\) and \(\beta\) as above to \(|Tr(\alpha, \beta)| - 1\). Then the following interesting illustration of Aronszajn trees for the study of \(\varprojlim\)-acyclic inverse systems is given. Let \({\mathbb Z}\) be the group of integers. For any ordinal \(\kappa\), we denote by \(\Delta_{\kappa}{\mathbb Z}\) the inverse system of abelian groups taking constant values \({\mathbb Z}\) on all elements \(\alpha\in \kappa\), whose projections are equal to identical homomorphisms. This inverse system is usually regarded as a functor from \(\kappa^{op}\) to the category of abelian groups \(Ab\). But instead of \(Ab\), we can consider the category \(\kappa\text{-}Ab\) consisting of abelian groups of cardinality \(<\kappa\), or the category \(\kappa.g.\text{-}Ab\) consisting of abelian groups generated by sets of cardinality \(< \kappa\). The inverse system \(\Delta_{\kappa}{\mathbb Z}\in Ab^{\kappa^{op}}\) is projective object if and only if there is an ordinal \(\alpha\) such that \(\kappa=\alpha+1\). Since the inverse system of finite Abelian groups is \(\varprojlim\)-acyclic [\textit{C. U. Jensen}, Les foncteurs dérivés de lim et leurs applications en théorie des modules. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer-Verlag (1972; Zbl 0238.18007), Proposition 2.3], then \(\Delta_{\omega}{\mathbb Z}\in (\omega\text{-}Ab)^{\omega^{op}}\) is projective. General cases \(\Delta_{\kappa}{\mathbb Z}\in (\kappa\text{-}Ab)^{\kappa^{op}}\) and \(\Delta_{\kappa}{\mathbb Z}\in (\kappa.g\text{-}Ab)^{\kappa^{op}}\) for a cardinal \(\kappa\) are considered in the paper under review. A tree is a partially ordered set \({\mathcal T}= (T, \triangleleft)\) such that \(\triangleleft\) well-orders the set \(\{s\in T | s\triangleleft t\}\) for each \(t\in T\). The height \(ht(t)\) of a node \(t\) is the order-type of \(\{s \in T | s\triangleleft t\}\); the height \(ht({\mathcal T})\) of \({\mathcal T}\) is \(\sup\{ht(t) | t\in T\}\). A branch is a maximal totally ordered subset of \({\mathcal T}\). A \(\kappa\)-tree \({\mathcal T}\) is a tree of height \(\kappa\) satisfying \(|\{t \in T | ht(t) = \alpha\}| < \kappa\) for all \(\alpha < \kappa\). A \(\kappa\)-tree is Aronszajn if it possesses no cofinal branch. A cardinal \(\kappa\) has the tree property if every tree of height \(\kappa\) and level-widths all less than \(\kappa\) possesses a cofinal branch (i.e. there exist no \(\kappa\)-Aronsjazn trees). \smallskip Theorem 2.7. For any infinite cardinal \(\kappa\), (1) if \(\Delta_{\kappa}{\mathbb Z}\) is projective in \((\kappa.g.\text{-}Ab)^{\kappa^{op}}\) then \(\kappa\) has the tree property, and (2) if \(\kappa\) has the tree property then \(\Delta_{\kappa}{\mathbb Z}\) is projective in \((\kappa\text{-}Ab)^{\kappa^{op}}\). In particular, an uncountable cardinal \(\kappa\) has the tree property if and only if \(\Delta_{\kappa}{\mathbb Z}\) is projective in \((\kappa\text{-}Ab)^{\kappa^{op}}\). \smallskip At the end of section 2, Mitchell's theorem on the cohomological dimension of ordinals is given [\textit{B. Mitchell}, Adv. Math. 8, 1--161 (1972; Zbl 0232.18009)]: \smallskip Theorem 2.13. Let \(\varepsilon\) be a linear order of cofinality \(\aleph_{\xi}\). If \(\xi\) is finite then the cohomological dimension of \(\varepsilon\) is \(\xi+1\). If \(\xi\) is infinite then the cohomological dimension of \(\varepsilon\) is \(\infty\). \smallskip Moreover, the cohomological dimension of any directed partially ordered set equals \(n+1\) where \(\aleph_n\) is the smallest cardinal number of this directed partially ordered set [\textit{B. Mitchell}, Can. J. Math. 25, 233--238 (1973; Zbl 0279.18013)]. \smallskip Section 3 defines tail-acyclic simplicial complexes and formulates a strengthened version of Mitchell's theorem, as well as its translation into a statement about the existence of bases for inverse systems of Abelian groups. \smallskip Definition 3.1. A graph \(G\) on an ordinal \(\gamma\) is good if (1) \(G\) is cycle-free, and (2) \(G|_{[\alpha, \gamma)}\) is connected, for all \(\alpha< \gamma\). \smallskip Theorem 3.3. \(\omega_1\) is the least ordinal admitting no good graph. \smallskip A simplicial compex \(G\) on ordinal \(\gamma\) has vertices \(\alpha\in \gamma\), and \(G^{n-1}\) denotes the set of its simplexes consisting of \(n\) vertices. To generalize Theorem 3.3, the notion of a tail-acyclic simplicial complex on an ordinal is introduced. \smallskip Definition 3.4. An \(n\)-dimensional simplicial complex \(G\) on an ordinal \(\gamma\) is tail-acyclic if \(G^{n-1} = [\gamma]^n\) and for all \(\alpha< \gamma\) and \(k \geq 0\), \(\tilde{H}^{\Delta}_k(G|_{[\alpha, \gamma)})=0\). Here \([\gamma]^n\) denotes the set of all \(n\)-element subsets of the ordinal \(\gamma\), and \(\tilde{H}^{\Delta}_k\) are the reduced homology groups of the simplicial complex. \smallskip Theorem 3.5. Let \(n\) be a positive integer. Then \(\omega_n\) is the least ordinal supporting no \(n\)-dimensional tail-acyclic simplicial complex. \smallskip For an arbitrary \(\beta\in \varepsilon\), denote by \({\mathbb Z} h_{\beta}\in Ab^{\varepsilon^{op}}\) an inverse system \[ {\mathbb Z} h_{\beta}(\alpha)= \begin{cases} {\mathbb Z} & \text{if }\alpha\leq \beta\\ 0 & \text{otherwise}. \end{cases} \] Inverse system \(X\in Ab^{\varepsilon^{op}}\) is free if there are a set \(I\) and a family \(\beta_i\in \varepsilon\), \(i\in I\), satisfying \(X\cong \bigoplus_{i\in I}{\mathbb Z} h_{\beta_i}\). For each ordinal \(\varepsilon\) there is a projective resolution \[ \cdots \xrightarrow{d_{n+1}} P_n(\varepsilon) \xrightarrow{d_{n}} P_{n-1}(\varepsilon)\to \cdots \to P_1(\varepsilon) \xrightarrow{d_{1}} P_{0}(\varepsilon) \xrightarrow{d_{0}} \Delta_{\varepsilon} {\mathbb Z} \to 0 \] of the inverse system \(\Delta_{\varepsilon}{\mathbb Z}: \varepsilon^{op}\to Ab\), where \(P_n(\varepsilon)= \bigoplus_{\beta_0< \cdots <\beta_n< \varepsilon} {\mathbb Z} h_{\beta_0}\). Morphisms of inverse systems \(d_n: P_n(\varepsilon)\to P_{n-1}(\varepsilon)\) are defined using mappings on tuples that form bases of free abelian groups: \[ d_n(\alpha\leq \beta_0 < \cdots < \beta_n)= \sum^n_{j=0}(-1)^i(\alpha\leq \beta_0 < \cdots < \hat{\beta_i}< \cdots < \beta_n) \] where \(\hat{\beta_i}\) denotes the removal of the element. This projective resolution consists of the free inverse systems. \smallskip Theorem 3.7. For \(n \geq 1\), the system \(d_n P_n(\gamma)\) is free if and only if \(\gamma\) admits a tail-acyclic \(n\)-dimensional simplicial complex. \smallskip Theorem 3.10. For \(n \geq 1\), \(\omega_n\) is the least ordinal \(\varepsilon\) such that \(d_nP_n(\varepsilon)\) is not free. Section 4 introduces the idea behind the constructions in this paper, a simple, finitely iterative technique for compiling \({\mathcal C}\)-sequences, and applies this technique to describe the bases of inverse systems \(d_n P_n(\varepsilon)\) for ordinals \(\varepsilon\) of cofinality \(cf(\varepsilon)= \aleph_k\) where \(k < n\). Theorem 4.6 states that for a fixed \(n > 0\) for every ordinal \(\varepsilon\) for which \(cf(\varepsilon)< \aleph_n\), the collection \(d_n({\mathcal B}_n(\varepsilon)[C_{\varepsilon}])\) described in Definition 4.3 is the basis for \(d_n P_n(\varepsilon)\). In particular, each such \(d_n P_n(\varepsilon)\) is free. This theorem gives an upper bound for the cohomological dimension of an ordinal with cofinality \(\aleph_k\) due to \textit{R. Goblot} [Bull. Sci. Math., II. Sér. 94, 251--255 (1970; Zbl 0222.13018)]: Corollary 4.9. If the cofinality of an ordinal \(\varepsilon\) is \(\aleph_k\) then the cohomological dimension of \(\varepsilon\) is at most \(k + 1\). Sections 5 and 6 are devoted to an original method for proving a lower bound for the cohomological dimension of an ordinal with cofinality \(\aleph_k\). Section 5 derives a family of \(n\)-coherent functions \(f_n: [\omega_n]^{n+2} \to {\mathbb Z}\) from the bases constructed in Section 4 and reduces the proof of Mitchell's theorem (and its strengthening) to showing the nontriviality of these functions; this non-triviality is the argument of section 6. \smallskip Theorem 6.1. For all \(k \in \omega\) the cohomological dimension of \(\omega_k\) is greater than or equal to \(k + 1\). \smallskip This theorem together with Corollary 4.9 then concludes the proof of Theorems 2.13, 3.5, and 3.10. \smallskip Section 7 is devoted to cohomology of ordinals, trees of trees, and higher coherence in various guises. In the preprint [\textit{J. Bergfalk} and \textit{C. Lambie-Hanson}, ``The cohomology of the ordinals I: basic theory and consistency results'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:1902.02736}], \(0\)-coherent and \(0\)-trivial functions \(\varepsilon \to A\) (where \(A\) is an abelian group) were inroduced, as well as \(n\)-coherent and \(n\)-trivial families of functions were introduced, and the following two theorems were proved: \smallskip Theorem 7.2. Let \({\check H}^n(\varepsilon; {\mathcal A})\) denote the \(n^{th}\) Čech cohomology group of the ordinal \(\varepsilon\) (endowed with its usual order-topology) with respect to the sheaf \({\mathcal A}\) of locally constant functions to \(A\). Then for all ordinals \(\varepsilon\) and positive integers \(n\) and abelian groups \(A\), \[\check{H}^n(\varepsilon; {\mathcal A}) \cong \genfrac{}{}{}{}{coh(n,A,\varepsilon)}{triv(n,A,\varepsilon)}. \] Theorem 7.3. For any abelian group \(A\) and positive integer \(n\) and ordinal \(\varepsilon\) of cofinality less than \(\aleph_n\), we have \({\check H}^n(\varepsilon; A) = 0\). \smallskip In this preprint, it is also asserted that there exist groups \(A\) for which \({\check H}^n(\omega; {\mathcal A})=0\), and hence that \(\omega_n\) is the least ordinal with nonvanishing constant-sheaf \({\check H}^n\), but no proof is given. Now, Theorem 7.6 has been proved from which it follows that \(\omega_n\) is the least ordinal with a nontrivial Čech group \( \check{H}^n\) with respect to any constant sheaf \({\mathcal A}\). Subsection 7.2 describes how \(f_n\) functions can be viewed as \(n\)-dimensional generalizations of coherent Aronszajn trees, the so-called ``trees of trees'' whose name appears in the title of the paper under review. Theorem 7.10 proves the equivalence of Definitions 7.8 and 7.1 of coherent functions. It follows from Theorem 7.10 and 7.6 the following \smallskip Corollary 7.11. For all \(n>0\) the least ordinal \(\varepsilon\) for which there exists a nontrivial \(n\)-coherent tree of height \(\varepsilon\) is \(\omega_n\). \smallskip From the text: `` Section 8 to the \(n\)-dimensional walks lying at the heart of the functions \(f_n\), treating the representative \(n = 1\) and \(n = 2\) cases in some detail. In Section 9, we conclude with several open questions alongside a brief survey of other \(n\)-dimensional phenomena arising among the cardinals \(\aleph_n\). In part for the further light it sheds on these phenomena, a sketch of Mitchell's original argument of his theorem is included in an appendix, along with some discussion of its antecedents. The proof of one theorem from the main text, being laborious, is deferred to the appendix as well, along with supplementary details of the proof of another.''