We present recent results on the model companions of set theory, placing them in the context of a current debate in the philosophy of mathematics. We start by describing the dependence of the notion of model companionship on the signature, and then we analyze this dependence in the specific case of set theory. We argue that the most natural model companions of set theory describe (as the signature in which we axiomatize set theory varies) theories of $H_{\kappa ^+}$, as $\kappa $ ranges among the infinite cardinals. We also single out $2^{\aleph _0}=\aleph _2$ as the unique solution of the continuum problem which can (and does) belong to some model companion of set theory (enriched with large cardinal axioms). While doing so we bring to light that set theory enriched by large cardinal axioms in the range of supercompactness has as its model companion (with respect to its first order axiomatization in certain natural signatures) the theory of $H_{\aleph _2}$ as given by a strong form of Woodin’s axiom $(*)$ (which holds assuming $\mathsf {MM}^{++}$). Finally this model-theoretic approach to set-theoretic validities is explained and justified in terms of a form of maximality inspired by Hilbert’s axiom of completeness.

I investigate the relationships between three hierarchies of reflection principles for a forcing class $\Gamma $ : the hierarchy of bounded forcing axioms, of $\Sigma ^1_1$ -absoluteness, and of Aronszajn tree preservation principles. The latter principle at level $\kappa $ says that whenever T is a tree of height $\omega _1$ and width $\kappa $ that does not have a branch of order type $\omega _1$ , and whenever ${\mathord {\mathbb P}}$ is a forcing notion in $\Gamma $ , then it is not the case that ${\mathord {\mathbb P}}$ forces that T has such a branch. $\Sigma ^1_1$ -absoluteness serves as an intermediary between these principles and the bounded forcing axioms. A special case of the main result is that for forcing classes that don’t add reals, the three principles at level $2^\omega $ are equivalent. Special attention is paid to certain subclasses of subcomplete forcing, since these are natural forcing classes that don’t add reals.

We show that Ringrose's diagonal ideals are primitive ideals in a nest algebra (subject to the continuum hypothesis). This answers an old question of Lance and provides for the first time concrete descriptions of enough primitive ideals to obtain the Jacobson radical as their intersection. Separately, we provide a standard form for all left ideals of a nest algebra, which leads to insights into the maximal left ideals. In the case of atomic nest algebras, we show how primitive ideals can be categorized by their behaviour on the diagonal and provide concrete examples of all types.

This paper reconstructs Steel’s multiverse project in his ‘Gödel’s program’ (Steel, 2014), first by comparing it to those of Hamkins (2012) and Woodin (2011), then by detailed analysis what’s presented in Steel’s brief text. In particular, we reconstruct his notion of a ‘natural’ theory, describe his multiverse axioms and his translation function, and assess the resulting status of the Continuum Hypothesis. In the end, we reconceptualize the defect that Steel thinks $CH$ might suffer from and isolate what it would take to remove it while working within his framework. As our goal is to present as coherent and compelling a philosophical and mathematical story as we can, we allow ourselves to augment Steel’s story in places (e.g., in the treatment of Amalgamation) and to depart from it in others (e.g., the removal of ‘meaning’ from the account). The relevant mathematics is laid out in the appendices.

In this paper, we consider a notion of nonmeasurablity with respect to Marczewski and Marczewski-like tree ideals $s_0$ , $m_0$ , $l_0$ , $cl_0$ , $h_0,$ and $ch_0$ . We show that there exists a subset of the Baire space $\omega ^\omega ,$ which is s-, l-, and m-nonmeasurable that forms a dominating m.e.d. family. We investigate a notion of ${\mathbb {T}}$ -Bernstein sets—sets which intersect but do not contain any body of any tree from a given family of trees ${\mathbb {T}}$ . We also obtain a result on ${\mathcal {I}}$ -Luzin sets, namely, we prove that if ${\mathfrak {c}}$ is a regular cardinal, then the algebraic sum (considered on the real line ${\mathbb {R}}$ ) of a generalized Luzin set and a generalized Sierpiński set belongs to $s_0, m_0$ , $l_0,$ and $cl_0$ .

We argue against Foreman’s proposal to settle the continuum hypothesis and other classical independent questions via the adoption of generic large cardinal axioms.

We investigate properties of trees of height ω1 and their preservation under subcomplete forcing. We show that subcomplete forcing cannot add a new branch to an ω1-tree. We introduce fragments of subcompleteness which are preserved by subcomplete forcing, and use these in order to show that certain strong forms of rigidity of Suslin trees are preserved by subcomplete forcing. Finally, we explore under what circumstances subcomplete forcing preserves Aronszajn trees of height and width ω1. We show that this is the case if CH fails, and if CH holds, then this is the case iff the bounded subcomplete forcing axiom holds. Finally, we explore the relationships between bounded forcing axioms, preservation of Aronszajn trees of height and width ω1 and generic absoluteness of ${\rm{\Sigma }}_1^1$-statements over first order structures of size ω1, also for other canonical classes of forcing.

The shift map σ on ω* is the continuous self-map of ω* induced by the function n ↦ n + 1 on ω. Given a compact Hausdorff space X and a continuous function f : X → X, we say that (X, f) is a quotient of (ω*, σ) whenever there is a continuous surjection Q : ω*→ X such that Q ○ σ = σ ○ f.

Our main theorem states that if the weight of X is at most ℵ1, then (X, f) is a quotient of (ω*, σ), if and only if f is weakly incompressible (which means that no nontrivial open U ⊆ X has $f\left( {\bar{U}} \right) \subseteq U$). Under CH, this gives a complete characterization of the quotients of (ω*, σ) and implies, for example, that (ω*, σ−1) is a quotient of (ω*, σ).

In the language of topological dynamics, our theorem states that a dynamical system of weight ℵ1 is an abstract ω-limit set if and only if it is weakly incompressible.

We complement these results by proving (1) our main theorem remains true when ℵ1 is replaced by any κ < p, (2) consistently, the theorem becomes false if we replace ℵ1 by ℵ2, and (3) OCA + MA implies that (ω*, σ−1) is not a quotient of (ω*, σ).

The paper proves a conjecture of Solomon Feferman concerning the indefiniteness of the continuum hypothesis relative to a semi-intuitionistic set theory.

We consider natural ${\rm{\Sigma }}_2^1$ definable analogues of many of the classical statements that have been shown to be equivalent to CH. It is shown that these ${\rm{\Sigma }}_2^1$ analogues are equivalent to that all reals are constructible. We also prove two partition relations for ${\rm{\Sigma }}_2^1$ colourings which hold precisely when there is a non-constructible real.

We study countable saturation of metric reduced products and introduce continuous fields of metric structures indexed by locally compact, separable, completely metrizable spaces. Saturation of the reduced product depends both on the underlying index space and the model. By using the Gelfand–Naimark duality we conclude that the assertion that the Stone–Čech remainder of the half-line has only trivial automorphisms is independent from ZFC (Zermelo-Fraenkel axiomatization of set theory with the Axiom of Choice). Consistency of this statement follows from the Proper Forcing Axiom, and this is the first known example of a connected space with this property.

Let $R$ be a commutative ring with identity, and let $M$ be a unitary module over $R$. We call $M$$\text{H}$-smaller ($\text{HS}$ for short) if and only if $M$ is infinite and $\left| M/N \right|\,<\,\,\left| M \right|$ for every nonzero submodule $N$ of $M$. After a brief introduction, we show that there exist nontrivial examples of HS modules of arbitrarily large cardinality over Noetherian and non-Noetherian domains. We then prove the following result: suppose $M$ is faithful over $R$, $R$ is a domain (we will show that we can restrict to this case without loss of generality), and $K$ is the quotient field of $R$. If $M$ is $\text{HS}$ over $R$, then $R$ is $\text{HS}$ as a module over itself, $R\,\subseteq \,M\,\subseteq \,K$, and there exists a generating set $S$ for $M$ over $R$ with $\left| S \right|\,<\,\left| R \right|$. We use this result to generalize a problem posed by Kaplansky and conclude the paper by answering an open question on Jónsson modules.

Assuming the Continuum Hypothesis, there is a compact, first countable, connected space of weight ${{\aleph }_{1}}$ with no totally disconnected perfect subsets. Each such space, however, may be destroyed by some proper forcing order which does not add reals.