Continuum Hypothesis
Continuum Hypothesis
Continuum Hypothesis
COHEN 1143
model for Z-F, thus giving us greater flexibility in constructing new models. (In
the next paper we discuss how the question of independence, as distinct from that
of models, can be handled entirely within Z-F.) The Lbwenheim-Skolem theorem
yields the existence of a countable model on. Let 1, N2, etc., denote the correspond-
ing cardinals in 91M. Since 9 is countable, there exist distinct sets a5 C W, 0 < 6 <
N2. Put V = { (as, a5,) 6 < 6' }. We form the model 91 "generated" from 91M,
as, and V and hope to prove that in 9N the continuum has cardinality at least N2.
Of course, 91 will contain many new sets and, if the as are chosen indiscriminately,
the set N2 (in 911) may become countable in 91. Rather than determine the a5 di-
rectly, we first list all the countably many possible propositions concerning them
and decide in advance which are to be true. Only those properties which are true
in a "uniform" manner for "generic" subsets of w in M shall be true for the as in
91. For example, each as contains infinitely many primes, has no asymptotic
density, etc. If the as are chosen in such a manner, no new information will be
extracted from them in 9M which was not already contained in M, so that, e.g., N2
will remain the second uncountable cardinal. The primitive conditions n e as are
neither generically true nor false, and hence must be treated separately. Only
when given a finite set of such conditions will we be able to speak of properties
possibly being forced to hold for "generic" sets. The precise definition of forcing
will be given in Definition 6.
From now on, let 911 be a fixed countable model for Z-F, satisfying V = L, such
that x e 9 implies x c 911. If M' is a countable model without this property, de-
fine ' by transfinite induction on the rank of x, so that *I(x) = { y| 3 z e 911, z E x,
*1(z) = y}; the image 9 of 91' under ' is isomorphic to 91' with respect to E and
satisfies our requirement. Thus, the ordinals in 911 are truly ordinals. Let r > 1
be a fixed ordinal in 911, N, the corresponding cardinal in 91, and let as, 0 < 6 < NT
be subsets of w, not necessarily in 911, V = I (as, as,) 6 < 6'} .
LEMMA 1. There exist unique functions j, K1, K2, N, .-from ordinals to ordinals
definable in 911 such that
(1) j(a + 1) > j(a) and for all 1 such that j(a) + 1 < 3 < j(a + 1) the map
1 (N(13), K1(1), K2(13)) is a 1-1 correspondence between all such 13, and the set of all
triples (i, 'y, 6), 1 < i < 8, 'y < j(a), 6 < j(a). Furthermore, this map is order-
preserving if the triples are given the natural ordering S (Ref. 3, p. 36).
(2) j(0) = 3NT + 1, j(a) = supfj(13) 13 < a} if a is a limit ordinal.
(3) N(j(a)) = 0, N(j(a) + 1) = 9, Ki = O for these values.
(4) N(a), Ki(a) are zero if a < 3N,
(5) 1/f3 is as above, and N(13) = i, put J(i, K1(o), K2(1), j(a)) = 1. Also put
1(1) = j(a).
Definition 1: For a an ordinal in 911, define Fa by means of induction as follows:
(1) Fa"= if a < co.
(2) For w < a < MT, let Fa successively enumerate a5, the unordered pairs
(as, a5,) and the ordered pairs (as, as,) in any standard manner (e.g., the ordering
R on pairs of ordinals def. 7.813).
(3) For a = M71 Fa = V.
(4) For a > 3NT, if Ki(a) = 1, K2(a) = Y
if N(a) = 0, F. = {Fat| a' < a}
if 1 < i = N(a) < 8, Fa = ;i(F0, F.)
VOL. 50, 1963 MATHEMATICS: P. J. COHEN 1145
51(x, y) = {Xy}
5Y2(X, Y) = {(s, t) s E t, (s, t) E X}
53(X, Y) = - y
544(X, Y) = {(8, t) (s, t) e x, t E Y
55(X, Y) = sleX, 3t(t, s) ey}
936(x, y) = {(s, t) (s, t) E x, (t, s) e y}
57(x, y) = {(r, s, t) (r, s, t) e x, (t, r, s) e y}
5:8(x, y) = {(r, s, t)I (r, s, t) e x, (r, t, s) E Y}
if N(a) = 9, Fa = {Fa, a' < a, N(a') = 9}. We also define Ta = {F If3 < ca }.
We have introduced the case N = 9 for the convenience of later arguments. It
ensures that the ordinals in M1t are listed among the Fa in a canonical manner. Ob-
serve that since V = L holds in M, it is not difficult to see that this implies fM C91.
Denote by 9t, the set of all Fa for a e M. Note that in 9Z each Fa is a collection
of preceding FO. We shall often write a in place of Fa if a < w, and as in place of
Fs + + 1, etc., if there is no danger of confusion. If N(a) = 9, then the set Fa is
.
the two statements a, b is of type (R and the other is not of type CR, in which case the
former precedes the latter.
Definition 6: By induction, we define the concept of "P forces a" as follows:
I. If r > 0, P forces a = (x)ab(x) if for all P' v P) P' does not force 7b(Fp)
for 13 < a. P forces 3axb(X) if for some 13 < a, P forces b(FB).
II. If r = 0, and a has propositional connectives, P forces a if for each compo-
nent Fa, E Few or 7Fa e Fl appearing in a, these, by case III of this definition, are
forced to be true or their negations are forced to be true so that in the usual sense
of the propositional calculus a is true.
III. If a is of the form Fa f Fe or 7 Fa E F, we define P forces a as follows:
(i) If a, 13 < 3NT, then a must hold as a formal consequence of P, i.e., P forces
a, if a is true whenever as are distinct subsets of w, satisfying P, different from any
integer and c.
(ii) 7 Fa e Fa is always forced.
(iii) If a < 3, N(1) = i < 9, 3 > 3R,, P forces a, where aFa e F,6 or Fa e Fe,
if P forces 4ti or 7 4,j, respectively, where j,6 is the limited statement expressing the
definition of Fe. That is, if K1(13) = oy, K2(13) = 6:
(0) it0 is vacuous and always forced.
(1) 4t' Fa = F V Fa = F5.
(2) V2 3,6x 3ey (Fa = (x, y) & x e y& Fa e F).
(3) 4I3 -Fa E Fly& 7Fae Fs.
(4) 44 3ax3Y (Fa = (x, y) & Fa e Fy & y E Fs).
(5) 445- 3]x (Fa e F, & (x, Fa) e F5).
(6), (7), (8), similarly.
Here the use of ordered pairs must eventually be replaced by their definition, and
the use of equality in x = y is replaced by (z)#(z e x (===) z e y).
(iv) If a <1, N(13) = 9, ,8 > 3M, P forces a - Fa e Ff if for some 13' < ,# N(13')
= 9, P forces Fa = Ffl. P forces 7 F., e Fe, if for all 13' <1, N(13') = 9 and all
P' v P) P' does not force Fa = F,. Again the symbol = is treated as before.
(v) If a > 13, we reduce the case Fa e Fa to cases (iii) and (iv) treated above.
We say P forces Fa e Fe if for some 13' <1, P forces Fag e Fee and P forces Fa =
Ff, (i.e., (x) a(x e Fa (K) x e F,6,) which is a statement of type (R and hence precedes
Fa E Ffi). We say P forces 7 FaE F,6 if for all 1' <1 and P' D P, P' does not force
both Fa, 6 F,9 and F,> = Fa.
The most important part of Definition 6 is I, the other parts are merely obvious
derivatives of it.
Definition 7: If a is an unlimited statement with r quantifiers, we define "P
forces a" by induction on r. If r = 0, then a is a limited statement. If a
(x) b(x), P forces a, if for all P' D P, and a, P' does not force 7 b(Fa). If a
3x b(x), P forces a if for some a, P forces b(Fa).
In the proofs of Lemmas 2, 3, 4, and 5, we keep the same well-ordering on limited
statements as in Definition 6, and proceed by induction.
LEMMA 2. P does not force a and 7 a, for any a and P.
Proof: Let a be a limited statement with r quantifiers. If r > 0, and P forces
both 3ax b(x) and (x) a 7 b(x), then P must force b(F,6) for 13 < a which means P
cannot force (x) a 7 b(x). Case II of Definition 6 will clearly follow from case III.
Parts (i) and (ii) are trivial. If a is in part (iii), then P forces a if and only if P
VOL. 50, 1963 MATHEMATICS: P. J. COHEN 1147
forces a statement of lower rank and in this case the lemma follows by induction.
In part (iv), if P forces Fa e F,, then for some (3' < fl, N(,3') = 9, and P forces Fa =
Fit which means P can not force 7 Fa E Fa. In part (v) if P forces Fa e F,6, for
some (3' <(,, P forces F,6, e Fe and Fa = Fe, which again violates P forcing 7 Fc. e Fi.
If a is an unlimited statement, the lemma follows in the same manner by induction
on the number of quantifiers.
LEMMA 3. If P forces a and P' D P, then P' forces a.
Proof by induction as in Lemma 2.
LEMMA 4. For any statement a and condition P, there is P' D P such that either )I"
forces a or P'forces 7 a.
Proof: Let a be a limited statement with r quantifiers. If r > 0 and P does not
force a = (x)a b(x), then for some P' v P, P' forces 7 b(F,9), (3 < a, which means
P' forces 7 a. If r = 0, we may restrict ourselves to III, for if we enumerate the
components of a, by defining a finite sequence Pa, Po = P and P, + 1 D Pn we may
successively force each component or its negation so that finally either a or 7 a is
forced. Again, cases (i) and (ii) are trivially disposed of. Case (iii) is handled by
induction as before. If a = Fa e F, is in case (iv) then if P does not force 7 a, for
some P' v P and (3' <(, N((') = 9, P' forces Fa = F,3, so P' forces a. If a-
Fa e F, is in case (v) if P does not force 7 a, then for some P' D P, (' < f, P' forces
Fir e F, and F,3' = Fa' hence P' forces a. Unlimited statements are handled as
before.
Definition 8: Enumerate all statements an, both limited and unlimited, and all
ordinals a. in M11. Define P2n as the first extension of P2n - 1 which forces either an
or 7 an. Define P2n + 1 as the first extension of P2n which has the property that it
forces F,6 e Fan where ( is the least possible ordinal for which there exists such an
extension of P2n, whereas if no such ( exists, put P2n + 1 = P2n.
The sequence P. is not definable in M. Since all statements of the form n e as
are enumerated, Pn clearly approach in an obvious sense, sets as of integers. With
this choice of as, let 91 be defined as the set of all Fa defined by Definition 1.
LEMMA 5. All statements in 91 which are forced by some P, are true in 91 and con-
versely.
Proof: Let a be a limited statement with r quantifiers. If r > 0, then if P, forces
(x)a b(x), if (3 < a, then some Pm must force b(F06) since no Pm can force 71 b(F,3).
By induction we have that b(F,6) holds, so that (x)a b(x) holds in 91. If P. forces
3ax b(x), for some (3 < a, P, forces b(F,) so by induction b(F,6) holds and hence
3Sx b(x) holds in 9Z. Case II will clearly follow from case III and (i) and (ii) are
trivial. If a is Fa e F,3 or 7 Fa E F,3 in case (iii) then if Pn forces a, Pn forces pre-
cisely the statement which because of the definition of F,3 is equivalent to a. In
case (iv) if Pn forces Fa i F,6, for some (3' <(, N((3') = 9, P,, forces F,3t = Fa, which
therefore holds by induction in 91. If P, forces 7 Fa e F,3, then for each (' < 3,y
N(,(') = 9, Fa = F#,3 is not forced by any Pm so some Pm must force Fa id F,3d
which proves 7 Fat e F,3 holds in 91. Similarly for case (v) and for unlimited state-
ments. Since every statement or its negation is forced eventually, the converse is
also true.
Lemma 5 is the justification of the definition of forcing since we can now throw
back questions about 91 to questions about forcing which can be formulated in M11.
1148 PATHOLOGY: BLACK ET AL. PROC. N. A. S.
In the next paper, we shall prove that 9N is a model for Z-F in which part 3 of
Theorem 1 holds.
* The author is a fellow of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
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2Fraenkel, A., and Y. Bar-Hillel, Foundations of Set Theory (1958).
3 Gbdel, K., The Consistency of the Continuum Hypothesis (Princeton University Press, 1940).
4 Shepherdson, J. C., "Inner models for set theory," J. Symb. Logic, 17, 225-237 (1957).
5 Sierpinski, W., "L'hypothlse generalisee du continu et l'axiome du choix," Fund. Math., 34
1-5 (1947)