Projective subsets of separable metric spaces (Q923080)

In this paper we consider two possible definitions of projective subsets of a separable metric space X. A set \(A\subseteq X\) is \(\Sigma^ 1_ 1(X)\) iff there exists a complete separable metric space Y and Borel set \(B\subseteq X\times Y\) such that \(A=\{x\in X:\exists y\in Y\) (x,y)\(\in B\}\). Except for the fact that X may not be completely metrizable, this is the classical definition of analytic set and hence has many equivalent definitions, for example, A is \(\Sigma^ 1_ 1(X)\) iff A is relatively analytic in X, i.e. A is the restriction to X of an analytic set in the completion of X. Another definition of projective we denote by \(\Sigma_ 1^ X\) or abstract projective subset of X. A set \(A\subseteq X\) is \(\Sigma_ 1^ X\) iff there exists an \(n\in \omega\) and a Borel set \(B\subseteq X\times X^ n\) such that \(A=\{x\in X:\exists y\in X^ n\) (x,y)\(\in B\}\). These sets can be far more pathological. While the family of sets \(\Sigma^ 1_ 1(X)\) is closed under countable intersections and countable unions, there is a consistent example of a separable metric space X where \(\Sigma_ 1^ X\) is not closed under countable intersections or countable unions. This takes place in the Cohen real model. Assuming CH there exists a separable metric space X such that every \(\Sigma^ 1_ 1(X)\) set is Borel in X but there exists a \(\Sigma^ 1_ 1(X^ 2)\) set which is not Borel in \(X^ 2\). The space \(X^ 2\) has Borel subsets of arbitrarily large rank while X has bounded Borel rank. This space is a Luzin set and the technique used here is Steel forcing with tagged trees. We give examples of spaces X illustrating the relationship between \(\Sigma^ 1_ 1(X)\) and \(\Sigma_ 1^ X\) and give some consistent examples partially answering an abstract projective hierarchy problem of Ulam.