On coherent systems of projections for<i>N</i>₁-separable groups (Q4029192)

An abelian group \(A\) is called \(\aleph_ 1\)-separable if every countable subset of \(A\) is contained in a countable direct summand which is free- abelian. Equivalently, if there is a family of projections \(\{\pi_ i: i\in I\}\), \(\pi_ i: A \to H_ i = \text{range}(\pi_ i)\), with \(\pi_ i \circ \pi_ i = \pi_ i\) and each \(H_ i\) countable, free- abelian, such that each countable subset \(X\) of \(A\) is contained in at least one subgroup \(H_ i\). Such a system is called `coherent' if in addition \(H_ k \subseteq H_ i\) implies \(\pi_ k\circ \pi_ i = \pi_ k\). It is a natural question whether each \(\aleph_ 1\)-separable group of power \(\aleph_ 1\) has a coherent system of projections. A. H. Mekler has shown earlier that the answer is positive assuming Shelah's proper forcing axiom PFA together with the negation of Cantor's Continuum hypothesis, \(\neg \text{CH}\). In the present paper it is shown that the answer is negative assuming the usual set theoretic axioms ZFC. In fact it is shown that ZFC+CH+ (there is an \(\aleph_ 1\)-separable group of power \(\aleph_ 1\) with no coherent set of projections) is consistent. Here Jensen's combinatorial principle \(\diamondsuit(S)\) is required which implies CH. It is also shown that \(\text{ZFC} + \neg\text{CH}+\) (there is an \(\aleph_ 1\)- separable group of power \(\aleph_ 1\) with no coherent set of projections) is consistent. This is done using forcing by adding at least \(\aleph_ 2\) Cohen generic reals.