We observe that the classification problem for countable models of arithmetic is Borel complete. On the other hand, the classification problems for finitely generated models of arithmetic and for recursively saturated models of arithmetic are Borel; we investigate the precise complexity of each of these. Finally, we show that the classification problem for pairs of recursively saturated models and for automorphisms of a fixed recursively saturated model are Borel complete.

In this paper we investigate the properties of automorphism groups of countable short recursively saturated models of arithmetic. In particular, we show that Kaye's Theorem concerning the closed normal subgroups of automorphism groups of countable recursively saturated models of arithmetic applies to automorphism groups of countable short recursively saturated models as well. That is, the closed normal subgroups of the automorphism group of a countable short recursively saturated model of PA are exactly the stabilizers of the invariant cuts of the (...) model which are closed under exponentiation. This Galois correspondence is used to show that there are countable short recursively saturated models of arithmetic whose automorphism groups are not isomorphic as topological groups. Moreover, we show that the automorphism groups of countable short arithmetically saturated models of PA are not topologically isomorphic to the automorphism groups of countable short recursively saturated models of PA which are not short arithmetically saturated. (shrink)

A theoretical development is carried to establish fundamental results about rank-initial embeddings and automorphisms of countable non-standard models of set theory, with a keen eye for their sets of fixed points. These results are then combined into a “geometric technique” used to prove several results about countable non-standard models of set theory. In particular, back-and-forth constructions are carried out to establish various generalizations and refinements of Friedman’s theorem on the existence of rank-initial embeddings between countable non-standard models of the fragment (...) \ + \-Separation of \; and Gaifman’s technique of iterated ultrapowers is employed to show that any countable model of \ can be elementarily rank-end-extended to models with well-behaved automorphisms whose sets of fixed points equal the original model. These theoretical developments are then utilized to prove various results relating self-embeddings, automorphisms, their sets of fixed points, strong rank-cuts, and set theories of different strengths. Two examples: The notion of “strong rank-cut” is characterized in terms of the theory \, and in terms of fixed-point sets of self-embeddings. (shrink)

We present a novel, perspicuous framework for building iterated ultrapowers. Furthermore, our framework naturally lends itself to the construction of a certain type of order indiscernibles, here dubbed tight indiscernibles, which are shown to provide smooth proofs of several results in general model theory.