Guessing models and the approachability ideal

Starting with two supercompact cardinals we produce a generic extension of the universe in which a principle that we call [Formula: see text] holds. This principle implies [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], and hence the tree property at [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], the Singular Cardinal Hypothesis, and the failure of the weak square principle [Formula: see text], for all regular [Formula: see text]. In addition, it implies that the restriction of the approachability ideal [Formula: see text] to the set of ordinals of cofinality [Formula: see text] is the nonstationary ideal on this set. The consistency of this last statement was previously shown by W. Mitchell.

Rado’s Conjecture and its Baire version

Rado’s Conjecture is a compactness/reflection principle that says any nonspecial tree of height [Formula: see text] has a nonspecial subtree of size [Formula: see text]. Though incompatible with Martin’s Axiom, Rado’s Conjecture turns out to have many interesting consequences that are also implied by certain forcing axioms. In this paper, we obtain consistency results concerning Rado’s Conjecture and its Baire version. In particular, we show that a fragment of [Formula: see text], which is the forcing axiom for Baire Indestructibly Proper forcings, is compatible with the Baire Rado’s Conjecture. As a corollary, the Baire Rado’s Conjecture does not imply Rado’s Conjecture. Then we discuss the strength and limitations of the Baire Rado’s Conjecture regarding its interaction with stationary reflection principles and some families of weak square principles. Finally, we investigate the influence of Rado’s Conjecture on some polarized partition relations.

WEAK SQUARES AND VERY GOOD SCALES

We assume the existence of a supercompact cardinal and produce a model with weak square but no very good scale at a particular cardinal. This follows work of Cummings, Foreman, and Magidor, but uses a different approach. We produce another model, starting from countably many supercompact cardinals, where □K,<K holds but □K, λ fails for λ < K.

Simultaneous stationary reflection and square sequences

We investigate the relationship between weak square principles and simultaneous reflection of stationary sets.

MODIFIED EXTENDER BASED FORCING

We analyze the modified extender based forcing from Assaf Sharon’s PhD thesis. We show there is a bad scale in the extension and therefore weak square fails. We also present two metatheorems which give a rough characterization of when a diagonal Prikry-type forcing forces the failure of weak square.

ON RESURRECTION AXIOMS

The resurrection axioms are forms of forcing axioms that were introduced recently by Hamkins and Johnstone, who developed on earlier ideas of Chalons and Veličković. In this note, we introduce a stronger form of resurrection (which we callunboundedresurrection) and show that it gives rise to families of axioms which are consistent relative to extendible cardinals, and which imply the strongest known instances of forcing axioms, such as Martin’s Maximum++. In addition, we study the unbounded resurrection postulates in terms of consistency lower bounds, obtaining, for example, failures of the weak square principle.