In this paper a class of simple theories, called the low theories is developed, and the following is proved. Theorem. Let T be a low theory. A set and a, b elements realizing the same strong type over A. Then, a and b realized the same Lascar strong type over A.

We show that the analysis of Keisler’s order can be localized to the study of φ-types. Specifically, if is a regular ultrafilter on λ such that and M is a model whose theory is countable, then is λ+-saturated iff it realizes all φ-types of size λ.

In this paper we continue our study, begun in [5], of the connection between ultraproducts and saturated structures. IfDis an ultrafilter over a setI, andis a structure, the ultrapower ofmoduloDis denoted byD-prod. The ultrapower is important because it is a method of constructing structures which are elementarily equivalent to a given structure. Our ultimate aim is to find out what kinds of structure are ultrapowers of. We made a beginning in [5] by proving that, assuming the generalized continuum hypothesis, for (...) each cardinalαthere is an ultrafilterDover a set of powerαsuch that for all structures,D-prodisα+-saturated. (shrink)

We develop the theory of generically stable types, independence relation based on nonforking and stable weight in the context of dependent theories.

§1. Introduction. In this report we wish to describe recent work on a class of first order theories first introduced by Shelah in [32], the simple theories. Major progress was made in the first author's doctoral thesis [17]. We will give a survey of this, as well as further works by the authors and others.The class of simple theories includes stable theories, but also many more, such as the theory of the random graph. Moreover, many of the theories of particular (...) algebraic structures which have been studied recently turn out to be simple. The interest is basically that a large amount of the machinery of stability theory, invented by Shelah, is valid in the broader class of simple theories. Stable theories will be defined formally in the next section. An exhaustive study of them is carried out in [33]. Without trying to read Shelah's mind, we feel comfortable in saying that the importance of stability for Shelah lay partly in the fact that an unstable theory T has 2λ many models in any cardinal λ ≥ ω1 + |T|. (shrink)

This paper continues the work in [S. Shelah, Towards classifying unstable theories, Annals of Pure and Applied Logic 80 229–255] and [M. Džamonja, S. Shelah, On left triangle, open*-maximality, Annals of Pure and Applied Logic 125 119–158]. We present a rank function for NSOP1 theories and give an example of a theory which is NSOP1 but not simple. We also investigate the connection between maximality in the ordering left triangle, open* among complete first order theories and the SOP2 property. We (...) prove that left triangle, open*-maximality implies SOP2 and obtain certain results in the other direction. The paper provides a step toward the classification of unstable theories without the strict order property. (shrink)

This paper continues the work in [S. Shelah, Towards classifying unstable theories, Annals of Pure and Applied Logic 80 229–255] and [M. Džamonja, S. Shelah, On left triangle, open*-maximality, Annals of Pure and Applied Logic 125 119–158]. We present a rank function for NSOP1 theories and give an example of a theory which is NSOP1 but not simple. We also investigate the connection between maximality in the ordering left triangle, open* among complete first order theories and the SOP2 property. We (...) prove that left triangle, open*-maximality implies SOP2 and obtain certain results in the other direction. The paper provides a step toward the classification of unstable theories without the strict order property. (shrink)

In this paper a class of simple theories, called the low theories is developed, and the following is proved. Theorem. Let T be a low theory. A set and a, b elements realizing the same strong type over A. Then, a and b realized the same Lascar strong type over A.