Abstract We show the consistency, relative to the appropriate supercompactness or strong compactness assumptions, of the existence of a non-supercompact strongly compact cardinal $\kappa _0$ (the least measurable cardinal) exhibiting properties which are impossible when $\kappa _0$ is supercompact. In particular, we construct models in which $\square _{\kappa ^+}$ holds for every inaccessible cardinal $\kappa $ except $\kappa _0$ , GCH fails at every inaccessible cardinal except $\kappa _0$ , and $\kappa _0$ is less than the least Woodin cardinal.

Abstract We prove two theorems concerning indestructibility properties of the first two strongly compact cardinals when these cardinals are in addition the first two measurable cardinals. Starting from two supercompact cardinals $\kappa _1 < \kappa _2$ , we force and construct a model in which $\kappa _1$ and $\kappa _2$ are both the first two strongly compact and first two measurable cardinals, $\kappa _1$ ’s strong compactness is fully indestructible (i.e., $\kappa _1$ ’s strong compactness is indestructible under arbitrary $\kappa _1$ -directed closed forcing), and $\kappa _2$ ’s strong compactness is indestructible under $\mathrm {Add}(\kappa _2, \delta )$ for any ordinal $\delta $ . This provides an answer to a strengthened version of a question of Sargsyan found in [17, Question 5]. We also investigate indestructibility properties that may occur when the first two strongly compact cardinals are not only the first two measurable cardinals, but also exhibit nontrivial degrees of supercompactness.

Abstract We study the number of normal measures on a tall cardinal. Our main results are that: • The least tall cardinal may coincide with the least measurable cardinal and carry as many normal measures as desired. • The least measurable limit of tall cardinals may carry as many normal measures as desired.

Abstract We determine exact consistency strengths for various failures of the Singular Cardinals Hypothesis (SCH) in the setting of the Zermelo-Fraenkel axiom system ZF without the Axiom of Choice (AC). By the new notion of parallel Prikry forcing that we introduce, we obtain surjective failures of SCH using only one measurable cardinal, including a surjective failure of Shelah's pcf theorem about the size of the power set of ℵω. Using symmetric collapses to ℵω, , or , we show that injective failures at ℵω, , or can have relatively mild consistency strengths in terms of Mitchell orders of measurable cardinals. Injective failures of both the aforementioned theorem of Shelah and Silver's theorem that GCH cannot first fail at a singular strong limit cardinal of uncountable cofinality are also obtained. Lower bounds are shown by core model techniques and methods due to Gitik and Mitchell.

Abstract We obtain an equiconsistency for a weak form of universal indestructibility for strongness. The equiconsistency is relative to a cardinal weaker in consistency strength than a Woodin cardinal, Stewart Baldwin's notion of hyperstrong cardinal. We also briefly indicate how our methods are applicable to universal indestructibility for supercompactness and strong compactness.

Abstract. Working in the theory ”ZF + There is a nontrivial elementary embedding j : V → V“, we show that a final segment of cardinals satisfies certain square bracket finite and infinite exponent partition relations. As a corollary to this, we show that this final segment is composed of Jonsson cardinals. We then show how to force and bring this situation down to small alephs. A prototypical result is the construction of a model for ZF in which every cardinal μ ≥ ℵ2 satisfies the square bracket infinite exponent partition relation . We conclude with a discussion of some consistency questions concerning different versions of the axiom asserting the existence of a nontrivial elementary embedding j: V → V. By virtue of Kunen's celebrated inconsistency result, we use only a restricted amount of the Axiom of Choice.

Abstract We summarize the known methods of producing a non-supercompact strongly compact cardinal and describe some new variants. Our Main Theorem shows how to apply these methods to many cardinals simultaneously and exactly control which cardinals are supercompact and which are only strongly compact in a forcing extension. Depending upon the method, the surviving non-supercompact strongly compact cardinals can be strong cardinals, have trivial Mitchell rank or even contain a club disjoint from the set of measurable cardinals. These results improve and unify Theorems 1 and 2 of [5], due to the first author.

Abstract We prove some results related to the problem of blowing up the power set of the least measurable cardinal. Our forcing results improve those of [1] by using the optimal hypothesis.

Abstract Can a supercompact cardinal κ be Laver indestructible when there is a level-by-level agreement between strong compactness and supercompactness? In this article, we show that if there is a sufficiently large cardinal above κ, then no, it cannot. Conversely, if one weakens the requirement either by demanding less indestructibility, such as requiring only indestructibility by stratified posets. or less level-by-level agreement, such as requiring it only on measure one sets, then yes. it can.

Abstract In this paper, two theorems concerning measurable limits of strong cardinals and supercompactness are proven. This generalizes earlier work, both individual and joint with Shelah.

Abstract. We show how the forcing of [5] can be iterated so as to get a model containing supercompact cardinals in which every measurable cardinal δ is δ+ supercompact. We then apply this iteration to prove three additional theorems concerning the structure of the class of supercompact cardinals.

Abstract Combining techniques of the first author and Shelah with ideas of Magidor, we show how to get a model in which, for fixed but arbitrary finite n, the first n strongly compact cardinals k1..…kn are so that ki; for i = 1..…n is both the ith measurable cardinal and supercompact. This generalizes an unpublished theorem of Magidor and answers a question of Apter and Shelah.

Abstract We extend earlier work (both individual and joint with Shelah) and prove three theorems about the class of measurable limits of compact cardinals, where a compact cardinal is one which is either strongly compact or supercompact. In particular, we construct two models in which every measurable limit of compact cardinals below the least supercompact limit of supercompact cardinals possesses non-trivial degrees of supercompactness. In one of these models, every measurable limit of compact cardinals is a limit of supercompact cardinals and also a limit of strongly compact cardinals having no non-trivial degree of supercompactness. We also show that it is consistent for the least supercompact cardinal κ to be a limit of strongly compact cardinals and be so that every measurable limit of compact cardinals below κ has a non-trivial degree of supercompactness. In this model, the only compact cardinals below κ with a non-trivial degree of supercompactness are the measurable limits of compact cardinals.

Abstract Using an idea developed in joint work with Shelah, we show how to redefine Laver's notion of forcing making a supercompact cardinal κ indestructible under κ-directed closed forcing to give a new proof of the Kimchi-Magidor Theorem in which every compact cardinal in the universe (supercompact or strongly compact) satisfies certain indestructibility properties. Specifically, we show that if K is the class of supercompact cardinals in the ground model, then it is possible to force and construct a generic extension in which the only strongly compact cardinals are the elements of K or their measurable limit points, every κ ∈ K is a supercompact cardinal indestructible under ∈-directed closed forcing, and every κ a measurable limit point of K is a strongly compact cardinal indestructible under κ-directed closed forcing not changing ℘(κ). We then derive as a corollary a model for the existence of a strongly compact cardinal κ which is not κ+ supercompact but which is indestructible under κ-directed closed forcing not changing ℘(κ) and remains non-κ+ supercompact after such a forcing has been done.

Abstract We show the consistency, relative to a supercompact cardinal, of the least measurable cardinal being both strongly compact and fully Laver indestructible. We also show the consistency, relative to a supercompact cardinal, of the least strongly compact cardinal being somewhat supercompact yet not completely supercompact and having both its strong compactness and degree of supercompactness fully Laver indestructible.

Abstract Using Steel's recent result that assuming AD, in L[ℝ] below Θ, κ is regular iff κ is measurable, we mimic below Θ certain earlier results of Gitik. In particular, we construct via forcing a model in which all uncountable cardinals below Θ are singular and a model in which the only regular uncountable cardinal below Θ is ℵ1.

Before the remarkable theorem of Martin and Steel [6] showing that the existence of a supercompact cardinal κ implies L[R] ⊨ ZF + AD + DC, and the later theorem of Woodin [9] showing that Con(ZFC + There exists an ω sequence of Woodin cardinals) ⇔ Con(ZF + AD + DC), much set-theoretic research was focused upon showing that the consistency of fragments of AD + DC followed from more “reasonable” hypotheses such as versions of supercompactness. A good example of this is provided by the results of [1], in which the following theorems are proven.

The theory of large cardinals in the absence of the axiom of choice (AC) has been examined extensively by set theorists. A particular motivation has been the study of large cardinals and their interrelationships with the axiom of determinacy (AD). Many important and beautiful theorems have been proven in this area, especially by Woodin, who has shown how to obtain, from hypermeasurability, models for the theories “ZF + DC + ∀α < ℵ1(ℵ1 → (ℵ1)α)” and . Thus, consequences of AD whose consistency strength appeared to be beyond that of the more standard large cardinal hypotheses were shown to have suprisingly weak consistency strength. In this paper, we continue the study of large cardinals in the absence of AC and their interrelationships with AD by examining what large cardinal structures are possible on cardinals below ℵω in the absence of AC. Specifically, we prove the following theorems. Theorem 1. Con(ZFC + κ1 < κ2are supercompact cardinals) ⇒ Con(ZF + DC + The club filter on ℵ1is a normal measure + ℵ1and ℵ2are supercompact cardinals). Theorem 2. Con(ZF + AD) ⇒ Con(ZF + ℵ1, ℵ2and ℵ3are measurable cardinals which carry normal measures + μωis not a measure on any of these cardinals).

A very fruitful line of research in recent years has been the application of techniques in large cardinals and forcing to the production of models in which certain consequences of the axiom of determinateness (AD) are true or in which certain “AD-like” consequences are true. Numerous results have been published on this subject, among them the papers of Bull and Kleinberg [4], Bull [3], Woodin [15], Mitchell [11], and [1], [2]. Another such model will be constructed in this paper. Specifically, the following theorem is proven. Theorem 1. Con(ZFC + There are cardinals κ < δ < λ so that κ is a supercompact limit of supercompact cardinals, λ is a measurable cardinal, and δ is λ supercompact) ⇒ Con(ZF + ℵ1 and ℵ2 are Ramsey cardinals + The ℵn for 3 ≤ n ≤ ω are singular cardinals of cofinality ω each of which carries a Rowbottom filter + ℵω + 1 is a Ramsey cardinal + ℵω + 2 is a measurable cardinal). It is well known that under AD + DC, ℵ2 and ℵ2 are measurable cardinals, the ℵn for 3 ≤ n < ω are singular Jonsson cardinals of cofinality ℵ2, ℵω is a Rowbottom cardinal, and ℵω + 1 and ℵω + 2 are measurable cardinals. The proof of the above theorem will use the existence of normal ultrafilters which satisfy a certain property (*) (to be defined later) and an automorphism argument which draws upon the techniques developed in [9], [2], and [4] but which shows in addition that certain supercompact Prikry partial orderings are in a strong sense “homogeneous”. Before beginning the proof of the theorem, however, we briefly mention some preliminaries.

Ever since Cohen invented forcing in 1963, people have studied the properties that cardinals can have in generic extensions of the ground model. A very early result of Lévy shows that if κ is a regular cardinal and λ > κ is strongly inaccessible, then there is a notion of forcing which collapses every cardinal strictly between κ and λ yet preserves every other cardinal. This, of course, answers one question of the genre “What properties can a cardinal have in a generic extension?” Another question of the same genre that can be asked is the following: Is it possible to have a generic extension of the ground model in which all cardinals are preserved and yet the cofinalities of some cardinals are different? This question was first answered in the affirmative by Prikry, who proved the following theorem. Theorem 1.1 (Prikry [5]). Assume that V ⊨ “ZFC + κ is measurable”. Then there is a notion of forcing, P, such that for G V-generic over P: (1) V and V[G] have the same cardinals. (2) V and V[G] have the same bounded subsets of κ. (3) V[G] , i.e, V[G] ⊨ “κ is Rowbottom”. (4) V[G] ⊨ “cof(κ) = ω”. Prikry's result naturally raises the following question: Is it possible to get a generic extension in which cardinals are preserved and yet the cofinalities of certain cardinals are different from the ground model's but are uncountable? This question was first answered in the affirmative by Magidor, who proved the following theorem.

Abstract We prove, relative to suitable hypotheses, that it is consistent for there to be unboundedly many measurable cardinals each of which possesses a large degree of strong compactness, and that it is consistent to assume that the least measurable is partially strongly compact and that the second measurable is strongly compact. These results partially answer questions of Magidor on the relationship of strong compactness to measurability.