Periodicity in the cumulative hierarchy

DOI10.4171/JEMS/1318arXiv2006.01103OpenAlexW3032061408MaRDI QIDQ6341847FDOQ6341847

Authors: Gabriel Goldberg, Farmer Schlutzenberg 

Publication date: 1 June 2020

Abstract: We investigate the structure of rank-to-rank elementary embeddings, working in ZF set theory without the Axiom of Choice. Recall that the levels $V_{a}lpha$ of the cumulative hierarchy are defined via iterated application of the power set operation, starting from $V_0=emptyset$, and taking unions at limit stages. Assuming that $j:V_{alpha+1}o{V}_{alpha+1}$ is a (non-trivial) elementary embedding, we show that the structure of $V_{a}lpha$ is fundamentally different to that of $V_{alpha+1}$. We show that $j$ is definable from parameters over $V_{alpha+1}$ iff $alpha+1$ is an odd ordinal. Moreover, if $alpha+1$ is odd then $j$ is definable over $V_{alpha+1}$ from the parameter $$, and uniformly so. This parameter is optimal in that $j$ is not definable from any parameter which is an element of $V_{a}lpha$. In the case that $$, we also give a characterization of such $j$ in terms of ultrapower maps via certain ultrafilters. Assuming $lambda$ is a limit ordinal, we prove that if $j:V_{l}ambdao{V}_{l}ambda$ is $Sigm{a}_1$-elementary, then $j$ is not definable over $V_{l}ambda$ from parameters, and if $$ and $$ is fully elementary and $in$-cofinal, then $j$ is likewise not definable; note that this last result is relevant to embeddings of much lower consistency strength than rank-to-rank. If there is a Reinhardt cardinal, then for all sufficiently large ordinals $alpha$, there is indeed an elementary $j:V_{a}lphao{V}_{a}lpha$, and therefore the cumulative hierarchy is eventually periodic (with period 2).

Full work available at URL: https://doi.org/10.4171/jems/1318

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Axiom of choice and related propositions (03E25) Large cardinals (03E55) Other notions of set-theoretic definability (03E47)

Cited In (1)

• Extenders under \(\mathrm{ZF}\) and constructibility of rank-to-rank embeddings

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