We provide a model theoretical and tree property-like characterization of $\lambda $ - $\Pi ^1_1$ -subcompactness and supercompactness. We explore the behavior of these combinatorial principles at accessible cardinals.

We study the consistency and consistency strength of various configurations concerning the cardinal characteristics $\mathfrak {s}_\theta , \mathfrak {p}_\theta , \mathfrak {t}_\theta , \mathfrak {g}_\theta , \mathfrak {r}_\theta $ at uncountable regular cardinals $\theta $ . Motivated by a theorem of Raghavan–Shelah who proved that $\mathfrak {s}_\theta \leq \mathfrak {b}_\theta $ , we explore in the first part of the paper the consistency of inequalities comparing $\mathfrak {s}_\theta $ with $\mathfrak {p}_\theta $ and $\mathfrak {g}_\theta $ . In the second part of the paper we study variations of the extender-based Radin forcing to establish several consistency results concerning $\mathfrak {r}_\theta ,\mathfrak {s}_\theta $ from hyper-measurability assumptions, results which were previously known to be consistent only from supercompactness assumptions. In doing so, we answer questions from [1], [15] and [7], and improve the large cardinal strength assumptions for results from [10] and [3].

This paper deals with the question whether the assumption that for every inaccessible cardinal κ there is a well-order of H(κ+) definable over the structure $\langle {\rm{H}}({\kappa ^ + }), \in \rangle$ by a formula without parameters is consistent with the existence of (large) large cardinals and failures of the GCH. We work under the assumption that the SCH holds at every singular fixed point of the ℶ-function and construct a class forcing that adds such a well-order at every inaccessible cardinal and preserves ZFC, all cofinalities, the continuum function, and all supercompact cardinals. Even in the absence of a proper class of inaccessible cardinals, this forcing produces a model of “V = HOD” and can therefore be used to force this axiom while preserving large cardinals and failures of the GCH. As another application, we show that we can start with a model containing an ω-superstrong cardinal κ and use this forcing to build a model in which κ is still ω-superstrong, the GCH fails at κ and there is a well-order of H(κ+) that is definable over H(κ+) without parameters. Finally, we can apply the forcing to answer a question about the definable failure of the GCH at a measurable cardinal.

Assuming ω supercompact cardinals we force to obtain a model where the tree property holds both at אω+1, and at אn for all 2 ≤ n < ω. A model with the former was obtained by Magidor–Shelah from a large cardinal assumption above a huge cardinal, and recently by Sinapova from ω supercompact cardinals. A model with the latter was obtained by Cummings–Foreman from ω supercompact cardinals. Our model, where the two hold simultaneously, is another step toward the goal of obtaining the tree property on increasingly large intervals of successor cardinals.