Towards better: a motivated introduction to better-quasi-orders

DOI10.4171/EMSS/4-2-2MaRDI QIDQ2412926zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Yann Pequignot

Publication date 6 April 2018

Published in EMS Surveys in Mathematical Sciences (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1604.05866

zbMATH Keywords

better-quasi-ordersBQOpartial orderspartially ordered setsposetquasi-orderswell-founded quasi-orderswell-quasi-ordersWQO

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Applications of set theory (03E75) Ramsey theory (05D10) Partial orders, general (06A06) Combinatorics of partially ordered sets (06A07)

Abstract: The well-quasi-orders (WQO) play an important role in various fields such as Computer Science, Logic or Graph Theory. Since the class of WQOs lacks closure under some important operations, the proof that a certain quasi-order is WQO consists often of proving it enjoys a stronger and more complicated property, namely that of being a better-quasi-order (BQO). Several articles contains valuable introductory material to the theory of BQOs. However, a textbook entitled "Introduction to better-quasi-order theory" is yet to be written. Here is an attempt to give a motivated and self-contained introduction to the deep concept defined by Nash-Williams that we would expect to find in such a textbook.

Review text

Summary: The well-quasi-orders (WQO) play an important role in various fields such as Computer Science, Logic or Graph Theory. Since the class of WQOs lacks closure under some important operations, the proof that a certain quasi-order is WQO consists often of proving it enjoys a stronger and more complicated property, namely that of being a better-quasi-order (BQO). Several articles -- notably [\textit{T. Forster}, Theor. Comput. Sci. 309, No. 1--3, 111--123 (2003; Zbl 1081.06002); \textit{J. B. Kruskal}, J. Comb. Theory, Ser. A 13, 297--305 (1972; Zbl 0244.06002); \textit{R. Laver}, Ann. Math. (2) 93, 89--111 (1971; Zbl 0208.28905); \textit{R. Laver}, Math. Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 79, 1--10 (1976; Zbl 0405.06001); \textit{E. C. Milner}, NATO ASI Ser., Ser. C 147, 487--502 (1985; Zbl 0573.06002); \textit{S. G. Simpson}, ``Bqo theory and Fraïssé's conjecture, in: Recursive aspects of descriptive set theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 124--138 (1985)] -- contain valuable introductory material to the theory of BQOs. However, a textbook entitled ``Introduction to better-quasi-order theory is yet to be written. Here is an attempt to give a motivated and self-contained introduction to the deep concept defined by Nash-Williams that we would expect to find in such a textbook.

Recommendations

• Well, better and in-between
• Foundations of BQO Theory
• On Better-Quasi-Ordering Countable Series-Parallel Orders
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3914378
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3943872

Cited in

(24)

• On better quasi-ordering countable trees
• From wqo to bqo, via Ellentuck's theorem
• Well quasi orders in a categorical setting
• Well quasi-ordered sets
• Borel colouring bad rays
• A complexity problem for Borel graphs
• Well quasi-order in combinatorics: embeddings and homomorphisms
• Well, better and in-between
• The reverse mathematics of wqos and bqos
• Proving a witness lemma in better-quasiordering theory: the method of ‘extensions’
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3914378 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3943872 (Why is no real title available?)
• Foundations of BQO Theory
• Embeddability on functions: Order and chaos
• On Better-Quasi-Ordering Countable Series-Parallel Orders
• Infinitary Noetherian constructions I. Infinite words
• Well-quasi orders in computation, logic, language and reasoning. A unifying concept of proof theory, automata theory, formal languages and descriptive set theory. Based on the minisymposium on well-quasi orders: from theory to applications within the Jahrestagung der Deutschen Mathematiker-Vereinigung (DMV), Hamburg, Germany, September 21--25, 2015 and the Dagstuhl seminar 16031 on well quasi-orders in computer science, Schloss Dagstuhl, Germany, January 17--22, 2016
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 2236642 (Why is no real title available?)
• On the logical strength of the better quasi order with three elements
• A constructive picture of Noetherian conditions and well quasi-orders
• Higman's lemma is stronger for better quasi orders
• Graph parameters, universal obstructions, and WQO
• Provable better-quasi-orders
• From well-quasi-ordered sets to better-quasi-ordered sets

This page was built for publication: Towards better: a motivated introduction to better-quasi-orders

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q2412926)