Conservative extensions of models of set theory and generalizations

Abstract

An attempt to answer the following question gave rise to the results of the present paper. Let be an arbitrary model of set theory. Does there exist an elementary extension of satisfying the two requirements: (1) contains an ordinal exceeding all the ordinals of ; (2) does not enlarge any (hyper) integer of ? Note that a trivial application of the ordinary compactness theorem produces a model satisfying condition (1); and an internal ultrapower modulo an internal ultrafilter produces a model satisfying condition (2) (but not (1), because of the axiom of replacement). Also, such a satisfying both conditions (1) and (2) exists if the external cofinality of the ordinals of is countable, since by [KM], would then have an elementary end extension.Using a class of models constructed by M. Rubin using in [RS], and already employed in [E1], we prove that our question in general has a negative answer (see Theorem 2.3). This result generalizes the results of M. Kaufmann and the author (appearing respectively in [Ka] and [E1]) concerning models of set theory with no elementary end extensions.In the course of the proof it was necessary to establish that all conservative extensions (see Definition 2.1) of models of ZF must be cofinal. This is in direct contrast with the case of Peano arithmetic where all conservative extensions are end extensional (as observed by Phillips in [Ph1]). This led the author to introduce two useful weakenings of the notion of a conservative end extension which, as shown by the “completeness” theorems in §3, can exist.