We give a category-theoretic construction of simple and NSOP 1 -like independence relations in locally finitely presentable categories, and in the more general locally finitely multipresentable categories. We do so by identifying properties of a class of monomorphisms M such that the pullback squares consisting of morphisms in M form the desired independence relation. This generalizes the category-theoretic construction of stable independence relations using effective unions or cellular squares by M. Lieberman, S. Vasey and the second author to the unstable setting.

Abstract We generalise the properties $\mathsf {OP}$ , $\mathsf {IP}$ , k - $\mathsf {TP}$ , $\mathsf {TP}_{1}$ , k - $\mathsf {TP}_{2}$ , $\mathsf {SOP}_{1}$ , $\mathsf {SOP}_{2}$ , and $\mathsf {SOP}_{3}$ to positive logic, and prove various implications and equivalences between them. We also provide a characterisation of stability in positive logic in analogy with the one in full first-order logic, both on the level of formulas and on the level of theories. For simple theories there are the classically equivalent definitions of not having $\mathsf {TP}$ and dividing having local character, which we prove to be equivalent in positive logic as well. Finally, we show that a thick theory T has $\mathsf {OP}$ iff it has $\mathsf {IP}$ or $\mathsf {SOP}_{1}$ and that T has $\mathsf {TP}$ iff it has $\mathsf {SOP}_{1}$ or $\mathsf {TP}_{2}$ , analogous to the well-known results in full first-order logic where $\mathsf {SOP}_{1}$ is replaced by $\mathsf {SOP}$ in the former and by $\mathsf {TP}_{1}$ in the latter. Our proofs of these final two theorems are new and make use of Kim-independence.

Abstract The classes stable, simple, and NSOP $_1$ in the stability hierarchy for first-order theories can be characterised by the existence of a certain independence relation. For each of them there is a canonicity theorem: there can be at most one nice independence relation. Independence in stable and simple first-order theories must come from forking and dividing (which then coincide), and for NSOP $_1$ theories it must come from Kim-dividing. We generalise this work to the framework of Abstract Elementary Categories (AECats) with the amalgamation property. These are a certain kind of accessible category generalising the category of (subsets of) models of some theory. We prove canonicity theorems for stable, simple, and NSOP $_1$ -like independence relations. The stable and simple cases have been done before in slightly different setups, but we provide them here as well so that we can recover part of the original stability hierarchy. We also provide abstract definitions for each of these independence relations as what we call isi-dividing, isi-forking, and long Kim-dividing.

We give four different independence relations on any exponential field. Each is a canonical independence relation on a suitable Abstract Elementary Class of exponential fields, showing that two of these are NSOP1-like and non-simple, a third is stable, and the fourth is the quasiminimal pregeometry of Zilber's exponential fields, previously known to be stable (and uncountably categorical). We also characterise the fourth independence relation in terms of the third, strong independence.

We study the model theory of vector spaces with a bilinear form over a fixed field. For finite fields this can be, and has been, done in the classical framework of full first-order logic. For infinite fields we need different logical frameworks. First we take a category-theoretic approach, which requires very little set-up. We show that linear independence forms a simple unstable independence relation. With some more work we then show that we can also work in the framework of positive logic, which is much more powerful than the category-theoretic approach and much closer to the classical framework of full first-order logic. We fully characterise the existentially closed models of the arising positive theory. Using the independence relation from before we conclude that the theory is simple unstable, in the sense that dividing has local character but there are many distinct types. We also provide positive version of what is commonly known as the Ryll-Nardzewski theorem for ω-categorical theories in full first-order logic, from which we conclude that bilinear spaces over a countable field are ω-categorical.

Abstract We introduce the framework of AECats (abstract elementary categories), generalizing both the category of models of some first-order theory and the category of subsets of models. Any AEC and any compact abstract theory (“cat”, as introduced by Ben-Yaacov) forms an AECat. In particular, we find applications in positive logic and continuous logic: the category of (subsets of) models of a positive or continuous theory is an AECat. The Kim–Pillay theorem for first-order logic characterizes simple theories by the properties dividing independence has. We prove a version of the Kim–Pillay theorem for AECats with the amalgamation property, generalizing the first-order version and existing versions for positive logic.