Weakly compact cardinal: Difference between revisions

From Apeirology Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Content added Content deleted
(Created page with "A weakly compact cardinal is a certain kind of large cardinal. They were originally defined via a certain generalization of the compactness theorem for first-order logic to certain infinitary logics. However, this is a relatively convoluted definition, and there are a variety of equivalent definitions. These include, letting \(\kappa\) be the cardinal in question and assuming \(\kappa^{< \kappa} = \kappa\): * \(\kappa\) is 0-Ramsey. * \(\kappa\) is \(\Pi^1_1\)-indes...")
 
No edit summary
 
(2 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)
Line 8: Line 8:
Condition number 4 could be rewritten as \(R(\kappa, \kappa) = \kappa\), where \(R\) is a transfinitary extension of the function used in Ramsey's theorem.
Condition number 4 could be rewritten as \(R(\kappa, \kappa) = \kappa\), where \(R\) is a transfinitary extension of the function used in Ramsey's theorem.


The existence of a weakly compact cardinal is not provable in ZFC - however, if they do, they are very large. In particular, they are inaccessible, Mahlo, \(1\)-Mahlo, hyper-Mahlo and more. However, the least weakly compact is still smaller than a lot of other large cardinals, such as totally reflecting cardinals.
The existence of a weakly compact cardinal is not provable in ZFC, assuming its existence - however, if they do, they are very large. In particular, they are inaccessible, Mahlo, \(1\)-Mahlo, hyper-Mahlo and more. However, since "\(\kappa\) is weakly compact" is a \(\Pi^1_2\) property of \(V_\kappa\),<ref>Kanamori, Akihiro (2003). The Higher Infinite: Large Cardinals in Set Theory from Their Beginnings (2nd ed.). Springer. p. 64. doi:[https://doi.org/10.1007%2F978-3-540-88867-3_2 10.1007/978-3-540-88867-3_2]. ISBN 3-540-00384-3</ref> i.e. a \(\Pi_2\) property of \(V_{\kappa+1}\),<ref>J. D. Hamkins, "[https://jdh.hamkins.org/local-properties-in-set-theory/ Local properties in set theory]" (2014), blog post. Accessed 29 August 2023.</ref> a totally reflecting cardinal, or even a \(\Pi^1_2\)-indescribable cardinal, is larger than the least weakly compact cardinal.

Note that, unlike the relation between weakly and strongly inaccessible cardinals, and weakly and strongly Mahlo cardinals, strongly compact cardinals are always significantly greater than weakly compact cardinals, both in terms of consistency strength and size. Also, any weakly compact cardinal is necessarily a strong limit, and there is no known weakening which allows \(2^{\aleph_0}\) to be weakly compact, unlike the case with [[Inaccessible cardinal|weakly inaccessible]] and weakly inaccessible cardinals.

==References==
<references />

Latest revision as of 13:22, 1 September 2023

A weakly compact cardinal is a certain kind of large cardinal. They were originally defined via a certain generalization of the compactness theorem for first-order logic to certain infinitary logics. However, this is a relatively convoluted definition, and there are a variety of equivalent definitions. These include, letting \(\kappa\) be the cardinal in question and assuming \(\kappa^{< \kappa} = \kappa\):

  • \(\kappa\) is 0-Ramsey.
  • \(\kappa\) is \(\Pi^1_1\)-indescribable.
  • \(\kappa\) is \(\kappa\)-unfoldable.
  • The partition property \(\kappa \to (\kappa)^2_2\) holds.

Condition number 4 could be rewritten as \(R(\kappa, \kappa) = \kappa\), where \(R\) is a transfinitary extension of the function used in Ramsey's theorem.

The existence of a weakly compact cardinal is not provable in ZFC, assuming its existence - however, if they do, they are very large. In particular, they are inaccessible, Mahlo, \(1\)-Mahlo, hyper-Mahlo and more. However, since "\(\kappa\) is weakly compact" is a \(\Pi^1_2\) property of \(V_\kappa\),[1] i.e. a \(\Pi_2\) property of \(V_{\kappa+1}\),[2] a totally reflecting cardinal, or even a \(\Pi^1_2\)-indescribable cardinal, is larger than the least weakly compact cardinal.

Note that, unlike the relation between weakly and strongly inaccessible cardinals, and weakly and strongly Mahlo cardinals, strongly compact cardinals are always significantly greater than weakly compact cardinals, both in terms of consistency strength and size. Also, any weakly compact cardinal is necessarily a strong limit, and there is no known weakening which allows \(2^{\aleph_0}\) to be weakly compact, unlike the case with weakly inaccessible and weakly inaccessible cardinals.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Kanamori, Akihiro (2003). The Higher Infinite: Large Cardinals in Set Theory from Their Beginnings (2nd ed.). Springer. p. 64. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-88867-3_2. ISBN 3-540-00384-3
  2. J. D. Hamkins, "Local properties in set theory" (2014), blog post. Accessed 29 August 2023.