If κω is a cardinal, a complete Boolean algebra is called κ-dependent if for each sequence bβ: β<κ of elements of there exists a partition of the unity, P, such that each pP extends bβ or bβ′, for κ-many βκ. The connection of this property with cardinal functions, distributivity laws, forcing and collapsing of cardinals is considered.

We prove that for every singular cardinal μ of cofinality ω, the complete Boolean algebra contains a complete subalgebra which is isomorphic to the collapse algebra CompCol. Consequently, adding a generic filter to the quotient algebra collapses μ0 to 1. Another corollary is that the Baire number of the space U of all uniform ultrafilters over μ is equal to ω2. The corollaries affirm two conjectures of Balcar and Simon. The proof uses pcf theory.

Given a regular uncountable cardinal κ and a cardinal λ > κ of cofinality ω, we show that the restriction of the non-stationary ideal on Pκ to the set of all a with equation image is not λ++-saturated . We actually prove the stronger result that there is equation image with |Q| = λ++ such that A∩B is a non-cofinal subset of Pκ for any two distinct members A, B of Q, where NGκ, λ denotes the game ideal on Pκ. (...) We also remark that for κ > ω1, adding λ+3 Cohen subsets of ω1 to equation image makes NGκ, λ λ+3-saturated. (shrink)

We revisit several results concerning club principles and nonsaturation of the nonstationary ideal, attempting to improve them in various ways. So we typically deal with a ideal J extending the nonstationary ideal on a regular uncountable cardinal \, our goal being to witness the nonsaturation of J by the existence of towers ).

If a˜cardinal κ1, regular in the ground model M, is collapsed in the extension N to a˜cardinal κ0 and its new cofinality, ρ, is less than κ0, then, under some additional assumptions, each cardinal λ>κ1 less than cc/[κ1]<κ1) is collapsed to κ0 as well. If in addition N=M[f], where f : ρ→κ1 is an unbounded mapping, then N is a˜λ=κ0-minimal extension. This and similar results are applied to generalized forcing notions of Bukovský and Namba.

We show that it is independent whether club $\kappa $ -Miller forcing preserves $\kappa ^{++}$. We show that under $\kappa ^{ \kappa $, club $\kappa $ -Miller forcing collapses $\kappa ^{<\kappa }$ to $\kappa $. Answering a question by Brendle, Brooke-Taylor, Friedman and Montoya, we show that the iteration of ultrafilter $\kappa $ -Miller forcing does not have the Laver property.

Let μ be singular of uncountable cofinality. If μ > 2cf(μ), we prove that in P = ([μ]μ, ⊇) as a forcing notion we have a natural complete embedding of Levy (‮א‬₀, μ⁺) (so P collapses μ⁺ to ‮א‬₀) and even Levy ($(\aleph _{0},U_{J_{\kappa}^{{\rm bd}}}(\mu))$). The "natural" means that the forcing ({p ∈ [μ]μ: p closed}, ⊇) is naturally embedded and is equivalent to the Levy algebra. Also if P fails the χ-c.c. then it collapses χ to ‮א‬₀ (and the (...) parallel results for the case μ > ‮א‬₀ is regular or of countable cofinality). Moreover we prove: for regular uncountable κ, there is a family P of bκ partitions Ā = 〈Aα: α < κ〉 of κ such that for any A ∈ [κ]κ for some 〈Aα: α < κ〉 ∈ P we have α < κ ⇒ |Aα ⋂ A| = κ. (shrink)

We investigate the effect of adding $\omega _2$ Cohen reals on graphs on $\omega _2$, in particular we show that $\omega _2 \to (\omega _2, \omega : \omega )^2$ holds after forcing with $\mathsf {Add}(\omega, \omega _2)$ in a model of $\mathsf {CH}$. We also prove that this result is in a certain sense optimal as $\mathsf {Add}(\omega, \omega _2)$ forces that $\omega _2 \not \to (\omega _2, \omega : \omega _1)^2$.

We discuss dividing lines (in model theory) and some test questions, mainly the universality spectrum. So there is much on conjectures, problems and old results, mainly of the author and also on some recent results.

We propose developing the theory of consequences of morasses relevant in mathematical applications in the language alternative to the usual one, replacing commonly used structures by families of sets originating with Velleman’s neat simplified morasses called 2-cardinals. The theory of related trees, gaps, colorings of pairs and forcing notions is reformulated and sketched from a unifying point of view with the focus on the applicability to constructions of mathematical structures like Boolean algebras, Banach spaces or compact spaces. The paper is (...) dedicated to the memory of Jim Baumgartner whose seminal joint paper :109–129, 1987) with Saharon Shelah provided a critical mass in the theory in question. A new result which we obtain as a side product is the consistency of the existence of a function \ with the appropriate \-version of property \ for regular \ satisfying \. (shrink)