Distal and non-distal NIP theories

DOI10.1016/J.APAL.2012.10.015MaRDI QIDQ1935868zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Pierre Simon

Publication date 19 February 2013

Published in Annals of Pure and Applied Logic (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1103.2239

zbMATH Keywords

\(p\)-adicsdistal theoryindiscernible sequenceinvariant typeKeisler measureNIP theoryo-minimal theoriessharp theorystable theoryVC-dimension

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Classification theory, stability, and related concepts in model theory (03C45) Model theory of ordered structures; o-minimality (03C64) Other classical first-order model theory (03C68)

Abstract: We study one way in which stable phenomena can exist in an NIP theory. We start by defining a notion of 'pure instability' that we call 'distality' in which no such phenomenon occurs. O-minimal theories and the p-adics for example are distal. Next, we try to understand what happens when distality fails. Given a type p over a sufficiently saturated model, we extract, in some sense, the stable part of p and define a notion of stable-independence which is implied by non-forking and has bounded weight. As an application, we show that the expansion of a model by traces of externally definable sets from some adequate indiscernible sequence eliminates quantifiers.

Review text

A notion of ``pure instability called \textit{distality} is introduced in the framework of NIP theories. First, distality is defined for indiscernible sequences in the following way. Let \(I = \langle a_i \, : \, i \in {\mathcal I} \rangle\) be an indiscernible sequence over a set \(A\). The EM-type of \(I\) over \(A\) is the family \((p_n : n \in \omega)\), where \(p_n \in S_n(A)\) is the type of \((a_{\sigma(k)} : k < n)\) for \(\sigma : n \mapsto {\mathcal I}\) any increasing embedding. Furthermore, a cut \((I_1, I_2)\) of \(I\) is called Dedekind if both \(I_1\) and \(I_2^\star\) (\(I_2\) with the order reversed) have infinite cofinality. An element \(a\) fills a cut \((I_1, I_2)\) of \(I\) if and only if \(I_1 + \{a \} + I_2\) remains indiscernible. At this point, define \(I\) \textsl{distal} if and only if for any dense \(J\) of the same EM-type as \(I\) and for every pair of distinct Dedekind cuts of \(J\), if \(a\) fills the former cut and fills the latter, then \(a\) and \(b\) are independent over \(J\), in the sense that \(J \cup \{ a, b \}\) with \(a\) and \(b\) falling in their cuts is still indiscernible. A NIP theory \(T\) is said to be \textsl{distal} if all indiscernible sequences are distal in \(T\). So distality can be viewed as an opposite notion to total indiscernibility. Distal theories and sequences are extensively studied. The main results here characterize distal theories in terms of invariant types and generically stable measures as follows: A NIP theory is distal if and only if any two invariant types that commute are orthogonal, if and only if all generically stable measures are smooth; furthermore it is enough to check any one of these conditions in dimension 1. It follows that o-minimal theories, as well as the \(p\)-adics, are distal. Then the intermediate case of NIP theories that are neither stable nor distal is considered, with the aim of understanding to what extent non-distality is witnessed by stable-like interactions between tuples. A notion of \(s\)-independence is introduced over a sufficiently saturated model \(M\). This independence implies forking independence, is symmetric and has bounded weight. As an application of this idea, it is shown that, if \(T\) is a NIP theory, \(I = I_1 + I_2 + I_3\) is indiscernible, \(I_1\) and \(I_3\) are infinite, \(I_1 + I_3\) is \(A\)-indiscernible, then for every formula \(\phi(x, a)\) in \(L(A)\) the set \(\{ b \in I_2 :\, \models \phi(b,a)\}\) is finite or cofinite. Finally, \textit{sharp} theories are introduced. These are the NIP theories where over \(M\) every tuple is \(s\)-dominated by the realization of some generically stable type, so intuitively the stable part of types is witnessed by generically stable types. A criterion is given for sharpness which only involves examining indiscernible sequences of elements (not tuples). On this basis it is proved that dp-minimal theories are sharp.

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Cited in

(57)

• Wild theories with o-minimal open core
• A Vietoris-Smale mapping theorem for the homotopy of hyperdefinable sets
• Remarks on generic stability in independent theories
• Linear orders in NIP structures
• On stable quotients
• Topological fields with a generic derivation
• Structure and regularity for subsets of groups with finite VC-dimension
• Regular partitions of gentle graphs
• Type decomposition in NIP theories
• Cutting lemma and Zarankiewicz's problem in distal structures
• On a common generalization of Shelah's 2-rank, dp-rank, and o-minimal dimension
• Non-forking and preservation of NIP and dp-rank
• A note on ``Regularity lemma for distal structures
• Stable embeddedness and NIP
• The asymptotic couple of the field of logarithmic transseries
• Characterization of NIP theories by ordered graph-indiscernibles
• The definable (p,q)-theorem for distal theories
• The domination monoid in o-minimal theories
• Distality in valued fields and related structures
• Hamel spaces and distal expansions
• Distal and non‐distal behavior in pairs
• Ramsey growth in some NIP structures
• Model-theoretic Elekes–Szabó in the strongly minimal case
• Generic derivations on o-minimal structures
• dp-minimality: invariant types and dp-rank
• Externally definable sets and dependent pairs. II
• A Guide to NIP Theories
• Some themes around first order theories without the independence property
• Exact saturation in simple and NIP theories
• NIP, Keisler measures and combinatorics
• NIP for the asymptotic couple of the field of logarithmic transseries
• Distal and non-distal pairs
• Invariant types in NIP theories
• Exact saturation in pseudo-elementary classes for simple and stable theories
• On minimal flows and definable amenability in some distal NIP theories
• NIP ω$\omega$‐categorical structures: The rank 1 case
• DISTALITY RANK
• Topologizing interpretable groups in p-adically closed fields
• Product-free sets in approximate subgroups of distal groups
• The past and future of embedded finite model theory
• THEORIES WITH DISTAL SHELAH EXPANSIONS
• ON GROUPS WITH DEFINABLE F-GENERICS DEFINABLE IN P-ADICALLY CLOSED FIELDS
• A definable \((p,q)\)-theorem for NIP theories
• An invitation to extension domination
• Group topologies on automorphism groups of homogeneous structures
• A dichotomy for T-convex fields with a monomial group
• Around definable types in p-adically closed fields
• Zarankiewicz bounds from distal regularity lemma
• On some dynamical aspects of NIP theories
• Combinatorial bounds in distal structures
• Forking and invariant types in regular ordered abelian groups
• Weakly o-minimal types
• Planar graphs with separation are dp-minimal
• Semi-equational theories
• On minimal flows of definably amenable p-adic groups
• Distality for the asymptotic couple of the field of logarithmic transseries
• On minimal flows, definably amenable groups, and o-minimality

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