External definability and groups in NIP theories

We prove that many properties and invariants of definable groups in NIP theories, such as definable amenability, G/G^{00}, etc., are preserved when passing to the theory of the Shelah expansion by externally definable sets, M^{ext}, of a model M. In the light of these results we continue the study of the "definable topological dynamics" of groups in NIP theories. In particular we prove the Ellis group conjecture relating the Ellis group to G/G^{00} in some new cases, including definably amenable groups in o-minimal structures.Comment: 28 pages. Introduction was expanded and some minor mistakes were corrected. Journal of the London Mathematical Society, accepte

Elementary classes of finite VC-dimension

Let U be a monster model and let D be a subset of U. Let (U,D) denote theexpansion of U with a new predicate for D. Write e(D) for the collection of all subsets C of U such that (U,C) is elementary equivalent to (U,D). We prove that if e(D) has finite VC-dimension then D is externally definable (i.e. it is the trace on U of a set definable in an elementary superstructure of U).Comment: Small correction

A note on generically stable measures and fsg groups

We prove that if \mu is a generically stable stable measure in a first order theory with NIP and mu(\phi(x,b)) = 0 for all b, then \mu^{(n)}(\exists y(\phi(x_1,y)\wedge ... \wedge \phi(x_n,y))) = 0. We deduce that if G is an fsg grooup then a definable subset X of G is generic just if every translate of X does not fork over \emptyset.Comment: 8 page

Stable embeddedness and NIP

We give sufficient conditions for a predicate P in a complete theory T to be stably embedded: P with its induced 0-definable structure has "finite rank", P has NIP in T and P is 1-stably embedded. This generalizes recent work by Hasson and Onshuus in the case where P is o-minimal in T.Comment: 10 page

Invariant types in NIP theories

We study invariant types in NIP theories. Amongst other things: we prove a definable version of the (p,q)-theorem in theories of small or medium directionality; we construct a canonical retraction from the space of M-invariant types to that of M-finitely satisfiable types; we show some amalgamation results for invariant types and list a number of open questions.Comment: Small changes mad

Definable convolution and idempotent Keisler measures

We initiate a systematic study of the convolution operation on Keisler measures, generalizing the work of Newelski in the case of types. Adapting results of Glicksberg, we show that the supports of generically stable (or just definable, assuming NIP) measures are nice semigroups, and classify idempotent measures in stable groups as invariant measures on type-definable subgroups. We establish left-continuity of the convolution map in NIP theories, and use it to show that the convolution semigroup on finitely satisfiable measures is isomorphic to a particular Ellis semigroup in this context.Comment: v3. 30 pages; minor corrections and clarifications throughout the article; accepted to the Israel Journal of Mathematic