Click here to return to the main course web page.
In this homework set, you may use all of the axioms of ZFC.
If \(X\) is a set, the hereditary cardinality of \(X\) is the cardinality
of the transitive closure of \(X\).
If \(\theta\) is a cardinal, let \(H_\theta\) denote the class of all
sets of hereditary cardinality less than \(\theta\).
Do any 3 problems.
-
Prove that \(H_\theta\) is a set and compute the cardinality of
\(H_\theta\).
Hint:
the Mostowski collapse is helpful - see the construction of the Hartog ordinal.
-
Show that if \(\theta\) is a regular uncountable cardinal, then
\((H_\theta,\in)\) satisfies all of the axioms of ZFC except possibly
the Powerset Axiom.
When does it satisfy the Powerset Axiom?
-
Suppose that \(\theta\) is a regular uncountable
cardinal and \(A,B \in H_\theta\).
Show that \(|A| \leq |B|\) if and only if
\((H_\theta,\in) \models |A| \leq |B|\).
-
Suppose that \(\theta\) is a regular uncountable cardinal and
\(M \prec H_\theta\) is countable.
Show that \(M \cap \omega_1\) is an ordinal and for every \(X\) in \(M\),
\(X \subseteq M\) if and only if \(X\) is countable.
-
Suppose that \(\theta\) is a regular uncountable cardinal and
\(M \prec H_\theta\).
If \(X \in M\) is uncountable and \(S \in M\) with \(\bigcup S = X\) and
\(M \cap X \in S\), then \(S\) is stationary.
-
Suppose that \(\theta\) is a regular uncountable cardinal and
\(M \prec H_\theta\).
Show that if \(x \in H_\theta\) is definable from parameters in \(M\),
then \(x \in M\).
Here \(x\) is definable from parameters in \(M\) means that there is
a formula \(\phi(u,\bar v)\) and a tuple \(\bar a\) of elements of \(M\)
such that \(u=x\) is the unique solution to
\(H_\theta \models \phi(u,\bar a)\).