We investigate the Tukey order in the class of $F_{\sigma }$ ideals of subsets of $\omega $ . We show that no nontrivial $F_{\sigma }$ ideal is Tukey below a $G_{\delta }$ ideal of compact sets. We introduce the notions of flat ideals and gradually flat ideals. We prove a dichotomy theorem for flat ideals isolating gradual flatness as the side of the dichotomy that is structurally good. We give diverse characterizations of gradual flatness among flat ideals using Tukey reductions and games. For example, we show that gradually flat ideals are precisely those flat ideals that are Tukey below the ideal of density zero sets.

Roelcke non-precompactness, simplicity, and non-amenability of the automorphism group of the Fraïssé limit of finite Heyting algebras are proved among others.

We study model theory of actions of finite groups on substructures of a stable structure. We give an abstract description of existentially closed actions as above in terms of invariants and PAC structures. We show that if the corresponding PAC property is first order, then the theory of such actions has a model companion. Then, we analyze some particular theories of interest (mostly various theories of fields of positive characteristic) and show that in all the cases considered the PAC property is first order.

We explore the possibilities for elementary embeddings $j : M \to N$ , where M and N are models of ZFC with the same ordinals, $M \subseteq N$ , and N has access to large pieces of j. We construct commuting systems of such maps between countable transitive models that are isomorphic to various canonical linear and partial orders, including the real line ${\mathbb R}$ .

Given a Henselian valuation, we study its definability (with and without parameters) by examining conditions on the value group. We show that any Henselian valuation whose value group is not closed in its divisible hull is definable in the language of rings, using one parameter. Thereby we strengthen known definability results. Moreover, we show that in this case, one parameter is optimal in the sense that one cannot obtain definability without parameters. To this end, we present a construction method for a t-Henselian non-Henselian ordered field elementarily equivalent to a Henselian field with a specified value group.

Let F be the class of complete, finitely axiomatizable ω-categorical theories. It is not known whether there are simple theories in F. We prove three results of the form: if T ∈ F has a sufficently well-behaved definable set J, then T is not simple. (In one case, we actually prove that T has the strict order property.) All of our arguments assume that the definable set J satisfies the Mazoyer hypothesis, which controls how an element of J can be algebraic over a subset of the model. For every known example in F, there is a definable set satisfying the Mazoyer hypothesis.

In [3] Myhill has constructed a complete system K which allows in it the development of a large and important section of classical mathematics. Completeness is achieved essentially by sacrificing universal quantification and introducing instead the proper ancestral as a primitive idea.

In the following we are presenting a system K0 which will be shown to be equivalent to K (i.e. the primitive operators of both systems are mutually definable in terms of one another). K0 is also complete and covers the same ground as K. K0, however, differs from K by the introduction of the limited universal quantifier instead of the proper ancestral and of concatenation instead of the ordered-pair function as primitive operators. By a further reduction K0 will be shown to be equivalent to the system K1 not containing the abstraction-operator and the class-membership relation.

We answer some questions from [4] by giving suitable examples of small Polish structures. First, we present a class of small Polish group structures without generic elements. Next, we construct a first example of a small non-zero-dimensional Polish G-group.

Several results in the theory of recursion in higher types indicate that the effect of a higher type functional on the lower types does not reflect the high type, i.e. the same effect could be obtained by functionals of relatively low type. The two main results here are:

Plus -1 - Theorem (G. Sacks [6] for k = 1, [7] for k > 1). Let H be a normal functional of type ≥ k + 1. Then there exists a normal functional F of type k + 1 such that k-sc(F) = k-sc(H), i.e. the same subsets of tp(k − 1) are recursive in F and H.

Plus - 2 - Theorem (L. Harrington [1]). Let H be a normal functional of type ≥ k + 2. Then there exists a normal functional F of type k +2 such that k-en(H) = k-en(F), i.e. the same subsets of tp(k − 1) are semirecursive in F and H.

The results in this paper also indicate that higher types cannot have too much influence on lower types. The key is the Skolem-Löwenheim theorem. Among the results we mention:

(1) Let n < m. A ⊆ tp(n) × tp(m) be Kleene-semicomputable. Let x ∈ B ⇔ ∀y∈tp(m), ⟨x, y⟩ ∈ A. Then B is . This result may be relativized to a functional of type n + 1.

(2) Let k0 be the type-k-functional that is constant zero. Let F be a functional of type < k. Then, for i ≤ k −2, i-sc(F ,k0) = i-sc(F), i-en(F, k0) = ∀tp(i)(i-en(F)).

The global function on finite systems is a new concept defined by Gurevich in [1] and discussed in [2] and [3]. In the last ten years this concept has become more and more useful in computer science and logic. Gurevich also pointed out the importance of global functionals on finite systems. In this paper we will give a brief introduction to the concepts of global functions and global functionals on finite systems.

In studying the natural number system N = 〈N, +,0〉 we often refer to its functions and functionals. There are a lot of books and papers in this area. Kleene in [4] gave a detailed introduction to the recursive functions of N. The functionals of N are normally very difficult to compute because here we need to tell the machine what the input function is, which is not very easy to do. In developing the theory of finite systems the functions and functionals are also very useful. For computing the functionals in finite systems we can take the entire graph of a function as the input, which is not possible in N. We will discuss recursive functions and functionals for finite systems. The definitions of recursive functions are very similar to the case in N, but we will have a very different situation. In N the number of elements is infinite. The number of all possible functions from N to N is the continuum. In a finite system the number of all possible functions is finite. It seems that there is no necessity to define the global functions.