We give a new characterization of the hyperarithmetic sets: a set X of integers is recursive in e α if and only if there is a Turing machine which computes X and “halts” in less than or equal to the ordinal number ωα of steps. This result represents a generalization of the well-known “limit lemma” due to J. R. Shoenfield [Sho-1] and later independently by H. Putnam [Pu] and independently by E. M. Gold [Go]. As an application of this result, we give a recursion theoretic analysis of clopen determinacy: there is a correlation given between the height α of a well-founded tree corresponding to a clopen game A ⊆ ωω and the Turing degree of a winning strategy ƒ for one of the players—roughly, ƒ can be chosen to be recursive in 0 α and this is the best possible (see §4 for precise results).

Solovay has shown that if F: [ω]ω → 2 is a clopen partition with recursive code, then there is an infinite homogeneous hyperarithmetic set for the partition (a basis result). Simpson has shown that for every 0α, where α is a recursive ordinal, there is a clopen partition F: [ω]ω → 2 such that every infinite homogeneous set is Turing above 0α (an anti-basis result). Here we refine these results, by associating the “order type” of a clopen set with the Turing complexity of the infinite homogeneous sets. We also consider the Nash-Williams barrier theorem and its relation to the clopen Ramsey theorem.