On uniform definability of types over finite sets

In this paper, using definability of types over indiscernible sequences as a template, we study a property of formulas and theories called "uniform definability of types over finite sets" (UDTFS). We explore UDTFS and show how it relates to well-known properties in model theory. We recall that stable theories and weakly o-minimal theories have UDTFS and UDTFS implies dependence. We then show that all dp-minimal theories have UDTFS.Comment: 17 pages, 0 figure

Laver and set theory

In this commemorative article, the work of Richard Laver is surveyed in its full range and extent.Accepted manuscrip

Complete Axiomatizations of Fragments of Monadic Second-Order Logic on Finite Trees

We consider a specific class of tree structures that can represent basic structures in linguistics and computer science such as XML documents, parse trees, and treebanks, namely, finite node-labeled sibling-ordered trees. We present axiomatizations of the monadic second-order logic (MSO), monadic transitive closure logic (FO(TC1)) and monadic least fixed-point logic (FO(LFP1)) theories of this class of structures. These logics can express important properties such as reachability. Using model-theoretic techniques, we show by a uniform argument that these axiomatizations are complete, i.e., each formula that is valid on all finite trees is provable using our axioms. As a backdrop to our positive results, on arbitrary structures, the logics that we study are known to be non-recursively axiomatizable

G-Compactness and Groups

Lascar described E_KP as a composition of E_L and the topological closure of EL. We generalize this result to some other pairs of equivalence relations. Motivated by an attempt to construct a new example of a non-G-compact theory, we consider the following example. Assume G is a group definable in a structure M. We define a structure M_0 consisting of M and X as two sorts, where X is an affine copy of G and in M_0 we have the structure of M and the action of G on X. We prove that the Lascar group of M_0 is a semi-direct product of the Lascar group of M and G/G_L. We discuss the relationship between G-compactness of M and M_0. This example may yield new examples of non-G-compact theories.Comment: 18 page

Axiomatization and Models of Scientific Theories

In this paper we discuss two approaches to the axiomatization of scien- tific theories in the context of the so called semantic approach, according to which (roughly) a theory can be seen as a class of models. The two approaches are associated respectively to Suppes’ and to da Costa and Chuaqui’s works. We argue that theories can be developed both in a way more akin to the usual mathematical practice (Suppes), in an informal set theoretical environment, writing the set theoretical predicate in the language of set theory itself or, more rigorously (da Costa and Chuaqui), by employing formal languages that help us in writing the postulates to define a class of structures. Both approaches are called internal, for we work within a mathematical framework, here taken to be first-order ZFC. We contrast these approaches with an external one, here discussed briefly. We argue that each one has its strong and weak points, whose discussion is relevant for the philosophical foundations of science

About Hrushovski and Loeser's work on the homotopy type of Berkovich spaces

Those are the notes of the two talks I gave in april 2013 in St-John (US Virgin Islands) during the Simons Symposium on non-Archimedean and tropical geometry. They essentially consist of a survey of Hrushovski and Loeser's work on the homotopy type of Berkovich spaces; the last section explains how the author has used their work for studying pre-image of skeleta.Comment: 31 pages. This text will appear in the Proceedings Book of the Simons Symposium on non-Archimedean and tropical geometry (april 2013, US Virgin Islands). I've taken into account the remarks and suggestion of the referee

Deciding Piecewise Testable Separability for Regular Tree Languages

The piecewise testable separability problem asks, given two input languages, whether there exists a piecewise testable language that contains the first input language and is disjoint from the second. We prove a general characterisation of piecewise testable separability on languages in a well-quasiorder, in terms of ideals of the ordering. This subsumes the known characterisations in the case of finite words. In the case of finite ranked trees ordered by homeomorphic embedding, we show using effective representations for tree ideals that it entails the decidability of piecewise testable separability when the input languages are regular. A final byproduct is a new proof of the decidability of whether an input regular language of ranked trees is piecewise testable, which was first shown in the unranked case by Bojanczyk, Segoufin, and Straubing [Log. Meth. in Comput. Sci., 8(3:26), 2012]