Elementary properties of cycle-free partial orders and their automorphism groups (Q5959742)

A partially ordered set \(M\) is called \(k\)-\(CS\)-transitive (\(k\) is a positive integer) if for any two isomorphic connected \(k\)-element substructures of \(M\) there is an automorphism of \(M\) taking the first to the second. \(M\) is called cycle-free if for any \(a,b\in M\) there is a unique path from \(a\) to \(b\) in the Dedekind-MacNeille completion of \(M\). The author examines the elementary theories of countable \(k\)-\(CS\)-transitive cycle-free partial orders and their automorphism groups for \(k\geq 3\). He shows that in many cases one can distinguish these structures or their automorphism groups by means of their first- or second-order properties. Further, the small index property is established for several classes of cycle-free partial orders.