We prove that for a countable, commutative ring $R$, the class of countable $R$-modules either has only countably many isomorphism types, or else it is Borel complete. The machinery gives a succinct proof of the Borel completeness of TFAB, the class of torsion-free abelian groups. We also prove that for any countable ring $R$, both the class of left $R$-modules endowed with an endomorphism and the class of left $R$-modules with four named submodules are Borel complete.

Abstract We prove that many seemingly simple theories have Borel complete reducts. Specifically, if a countable theory has uncountably many complete one-types, then it has a Borel complete reduct. Similarly, if $Th(M)$ is not small, then $M^{eq}$ has a Borel complete reduct, and if a theory T is not $\omega $ -stable, then the elementary diagram of some countable model of T has a Borel complete reduct.

Abstract We show that if a countable structure M in a finite relational language is not cellular, then there is an age-preserving $N \supseteq M$ such that $2^{\aleph _0}$ many structures are bi-embeddable with N. The proof proceeds by a case division based on mutual algebraicity.

Abstract We introduce the concept of a locally finite abstract elementary class and develop the theory of disjoint $\left( { \le \lambda ,k} \right)$ -amalgamation) for such classes. From this we find a family of complete ${L_{{\omega _1},\omega }}$ sentences ${\phi _r}$ that a) homogeneously characterizes ${\aleph _r}$ (improving results of Hjorth [11] and Laskowski–Shelah [13] and answering a question of [21]), while b) the ${\phi _r}$ provide the first examples of a class of models of a complete sentence in ${L_{{\omega _1},\omega }}$ where the spectrum of cardinals in which amalgamation holds is other that none or all.

Abstract We introduce the notion of pseudoalgebraicity to study atomic models of first order theories (equivalently models of a complete sentence of ${L_{{\omega _1},\omega }}$ ). Theorem: Let T be any complete first-order theory in a countable language with an atomic model. If the pseudominimal types are not dense, then there are 2ℵ0 pairwise nonisomorphic atomic models of T, each of size ℵ1.

Abstract We introduce the notions of a mutually algebraic structures and theories and prove many equivalents. A theory T is mutually algebraic if and only if it is weakly minimal and trivial if and only if no model M of T has an expansion (M, A) by a unary predicate with the finite cover property. We show that every structure has a maximal mutually algebraic reduct. and give a strong structure theorem for the class of elementary extensions of a fixed mutually algebraic structure.

Abstract Given a sequence {αn} in (0,1) converging to a rational, we examine the model theoretic properties of structures obtained as limits of Shelah-Spencer graphsG( ). We show that in most cases the model theory is either extremely well-behaved or extremely wild, and characterize when each occurs.

Abstract We describe the Ax-Kochen definable subsets of the value group of a Hensel field and apply our results to a problem on identifying invariant factors in Hecke algebras.

By a classifiable theory we shall mean a theory which is superstable, without the dimensional order property, which has prime models over pairs. In order to define what we mean by unique decomposition, we remind the reader of several definitions and results. We adopt the usual conventions of stability theory and work inside a large saturated model of a fixed classifiable theory T; for instance, if we write M ⊆ N for models of T, M and N we are thinking of these models as elementary submodels of this fixed saturated models; so, in particular, M is an elementary submodel of N. Although the results will not depend on it, we will assume that T is countable to ease notation. We do adopt one piece of notation which is not completely standard: if T is classifiable, M0 ⊆ Mi for i = 1, 2 are models of T and M1 is independent from M2 over M0 then we write M1 M2 for the prime model over M1 ∪ M2.

Abstract A countable, atomically stable structure in a finite, relational language has fewer than 2ω non-isomorphic substructures if and only if is cellular. An example shows that the finiteness of the language is necessary.

Abstract If T has only countably many complete types, yet has a type of infinite multiplicity then there is a c.c.c. forcing notion such that, in any -generic extension of the universe, there are non-isomorphic models M1 and M2 of T that can be forced isomorphic by a c.c.c. forcing. We give examples showing that the hypothesis on the number of complete types is necessary and what happens if ‘c.c.c’ is replaced by other cardinal-preserving adjectives. We also give an example showing that membership in a pseudo-elementary class can be altered by very simple cardinal-preserving forcings.

Abstract We study o-minimal expansions of Archimedean totally ordered groups. We first prove that any such expansion must be elementarily embeddable via a unique (provided some nonzero element is 0-definable) elementary embedding into a unique o-minimal expansion of the additive ordered group of real numbers . We then show that a definable function in an o-minimal expansion of enjoys good differentiability properties and use this to prove that an Archimedean real closed field is definable in any nonsemilinear expansion of . Combining these results, we obtain several restrictions on possible o-minimal expansions of arbitrary Archimedean ordered groups and in particular of the rational ordered group.

If two models of a first-order theory are isomorphic, then they remain isomorphic in any forcing extension of the universe of sets. In general however, such a forcing extension may create new isomorphisms. For example, any forcing that collapses cardinals may easily make formerly nonisomorphic models isomorphic. However, if we place restrictions on the partially-ordered set to ensure that the forcing extension preserves certain invariants, then the ability to force nonisomorphic models of some theory T to be isomorphic implies that the invariants are not sufficient to characterize the models of T. A countable first-order theory is said to be classifiable if it is superstable and does not have either the dimensional order property (DOP) or the omitting types order property (OTOP). If T is not classifiable, Shelah has shown in [5] that sentences in L∞,λ do not characterize models of T of power λ. By contrast, in [8] Shelah showed that if a theory T is classifiable, then each model of cardinality λ is described by a sentence of L∞,λ. In fact, this sentence can be chosen in the . ( is the result of enriching the language by adding for each μ < λ a quantifier saying the dimension of a dependence structure is greater than μ) Further work ([3], [2]) shows that ⊐+ can be replaced by ℵ1.

Abstract We consider the question of when, given a subset A of M, the setwise stabilizer of the group of automorphisms induces a closed subgroup on Sym(A). We define s-homogeneity to be the analogue of homogeneity relative to strong embeddings and show that any subset of a countable, s-homogeneous, ω-stable structure induces a closed subgroup and contrast this with a number of negative results. We also show that for ω-stable structures s-homogeneity is preserved under naming countably many constants, but under slightly weaker conditions it can be lost by naming a single point.

Abstract We give an example of a countable theory T such that for every cardinal λ ≥ ℵ2 there is a fully indiscernible set A of power λ such that the principal types are dense over A, yet there is no atomic model of T over A. In particular, T(A) is a theory of size λ where the principal types are dense, yet T(A) has no atomic model.

Abstract In this paper we prove three theorems about first-order theories that are categorical in a higher power. The first theorem asserts that such a theory either is totally categorical or there exist prime and minimal models over arbitrary base sets. The second theorem shows that such theories have a natural notion of dimension that determines the models of the theory up to isomorphism. From this we conclude that I(T,ℵα,) = ℵ0 + ∣α∣ where ℵα = the number of formulas modulo T-equivalence provided that T is not totally categorical. The third theorem gives a new characterization of these theories.