\chapter{Breaking the continuum hypothesis} We now use the technique of forcing to break the Continuum Hypothesis by choosing a good poset $\Po$. As I mentioned earlier, one can also build a model where the Continuum Hypothesis is true; this is called the \emph{constructible universe}, (this model is often called ``$V=L$''). However, I think it's more fun when things break\dots %\section{Forcing $V \neq L$ is really easy} %As a small aside, to check we're on the right track we show the following result. % %\begin{theorem}[$V \ne L$] % Let $M$ be a countable transitive model of $\ZFC$. % Let $\Po \in M$ be \emph{any} splitting poset, % and let $G \subseteq \Po$ be $M$-generic. % Then $M[G] \vDash (V \neq L)$. %\end{theorem} %\begin{proof} % Since $L$ has a $\Sigma_1$ definition, % we have \[ L^{M[G]} = L^M \subseteq M \subsetneq M[G] \] % where the last part follows from $G \notin M[G]$. %\end{proof} % %Thus $M[G] \vDash \ZFC + (V \ne L)$ for any splitting poset $\Po$, %and we are one step closer to breaking $\CH$. \section{Adding in reals} Starting with a \emph{countable} transitive model $M$. We want to choose $\Po \in M$ such that $(\aleph_2)^M$ many real numbers appear, and then worry about cardinal collapse later. Recall the earlier situation where we set $\Po$ to be the infinite complete binary tree; its nodes can be thought of as partial functions $n \to 2$ where $n < \omega$. Then $G$ itself is a path down this tree; i.e.\ it can be encoded as a total function $G : \omega \to 2$, and corresponds to a real number. \begin{center} \begin{asy} size(8cm); pair P = Drawing("\varnothing", (0,4), dir(90), red); pair P0 = Drawing("0", (-5,2), 1.5*dir(90), red); pair P1 = Drawing("1", (5,2), 1.5*dir(90)); pair P00 = Drawing("00", (-7,0), 1.4*dir(120)); pair P01 = Drawing("01", (-3,0), 1.4*dir(60), red); pair P10 = Drawing("10", (3,0), 1.4*dir(120)); pair P11 = Drawing("11", (7,0), 1.4*dir(60)); pair P000 = Drawing("000", (-8,-3)); pair P001 = Drawing("001", (-6,-3)); pair P010 = Drawing("010", (-4,-3), red); pair P011 = Drawing("011", (-2,-3)); pair P100 = Drawing("100", (2,-3)); pair P101 = Drawing("101", (4,-3)); pair P110 = Drawing("110", (6,-3)); pair P111 = Drawing("111", (8,-3)); draw(P01--P0--P00); draw(P11--P1--P10); draw(P0--P--P1); draw(P000--P00--P001); draw(P100--P10--P101); draw(P010--P01--P011); draw(P110--P11--P111); draw(P--P0--P01--P010--(P010+2*dir(-90)), red+1.4); MP("G", P010+2*dir(-90), dir(-90), red); \end{asy} \end{center} We want to do something similar, but with $\omega_2$ many real numbers instead of just one. In light of this, consider in $M$ the poset \[ \Po = \opname{Add} \left( \omega_2, \omega \right) \defeq \left( \left\{ p : \omega_2 \times \omega \to 2, \dom(p) \text{ is finite} \right\}, \supseteq \right). \] These elements $p$ (conditions) are ``partial functions'': we take some finite subset of $\omega_2 \times \omega$ and map it into $2=\{0,1\}$. (Here $\dom(p)$ denotes the domain of $p$, which is the finite subset of $\omega_2 \times \omega$ mentioned.) Moreover, we say $p \le q$ if $\dom(p) \supseteq \dom(q)$ and the two functions agree over $\dom(q)$. \begin{ques} What is the maximal element $1_\Po$ here? \end{ques} \begin{exercise} Show that a generic $G$ can be encoded as a function $\omega_2 \times \omega \to 2$. \end{exercise} %Let $G \subseteq \opname{Add}(\omega_2, \omega)$ be an $M$-generic. %We claim that, like in the binary case, $G$ can be encoded as a function $\omega_2 \times \omega \to 2$. %To see this, consider $\alpha \in \omega_2$ and $n \in \omega$; we have the dense set %\[ D_{\alpha, n} % = \left\{ p \in \opname{Add}(\omega_2, \omega) % \mid (\alpha, n) \in \dom(p) \right\} %\] %(this is obviously dense, given any $p$ add in $(\alpha, n)$ if it's not in there already). %So $G$ hits this dense set, meaning that for every $(\alpha, n)$ there's a function in $G$ which defines it. %Using the fact that $G$ is upwards closed and a filter, we may as before we may interpret $G$ as a function $\omega_2 \times \omega \to 2$. \begin{lemma}[$G$ encodes distinct real numbers] For $\alpha \in \omega_2$ define \[ G_\alpha = \left\{ n \mid G\left( \alpha,n \right) = 0 \right\} \in \PP(\NN). \] Then $G_\alpha \neq G_\beta$ for any $\alpha \neq \beta$. \end{lemma} \begin{proof} We claim that the set \[ D = \left\{ q \mid \exists n \in \omega : q\left( \alpha, n \right) \neq q\left( \beta, n \right) \text{ are both defined} \right\} \] is dense. \begin{ques} Check this. (Use the fact that the domains are all finite.) \end{ques} % This is pretty easy to see. % Consider $p \in \opname{Add}(\omega_2, \omega)$. % Then you can find an $n$ such that % neither $(\alpha, n)$ nor $(\beta, n)$ is defined, % just because $\dom(p)$ is finite. % Then you make $p'$ as $p$ plus $p'( (\alpha, n) ) = 1$ % and $p'( (\beta, n) ) = 0$. % Hence the set is dense. Since $G$ is an $M$-generic it hits this dense set $D$. Hence $G_\alpha \neq G_\beta$. \end{proof} Since $G \in M[G]$ and $M[G] \vDash \ZFC$, it follows that each $G_\alpha$ is in $M[G]$. So there are at least $\aleph_2^M$ real numbers in $M[G]$. We are done once we can show there is no cardinal collapse. \section{The countable chain condition} It remains to show that with $\Po = \opname{Add}(\omega, \omega_2)$, we have that \[ \aleph_2^{M[G]} = \aleph_2^M. \] In that case, since $M[G]$ will have $\aleph_2^M = \aleph_2^{M[G]}$ many reals, we will be done. To do this, we'll rely on a combinatorial property of $\Po$: \begin{definition} We say that $A \subseteq \mathcal P$ is a \vocab{strong antichain} if for any distinct $p$ and $q$ in $A$, we have $p \perp q$. \end{definition} \begin{example}[Example of an antichain] In the infinite binary tree, the set $A = \{00, 01, 10, 11\}$ is a strong antichain (in fact maximal by inclusion). \end{example} This is stronger than the notion of ``antichain'' than you might be used to!\footnote{% In the context of forcing, some authors use ``antichain'' to refer to ``strong antichain''. I think this is lame.} We don't merely require that every two elements are incomparable, but that they are in fact \emph{incompatible}. \begin{ques} Draw a finite poset and an antichain of it which is not strong. \end{ques} \begin{definition} A poset $\Po$ has the \vocab{$\kappa$-chain condition} (where $\kappa$ is a cardinal) if all strong antichains in $\Po$ have size less than $\kappa$. The special case $\kappa = \aleph_1$ is called the \vocab{countable chain condition}, because it implies that every strong antichain is countable. \end{definition} We are going to show that if the poset has the $\kappa$-chain condition then it preserves all cardinals greater than $\kappa$. % or was it > \kappa? In particular, the countable chain condition will show that $\Po$ preserves all the cardinals. Then, we'll show that $\opname{Add}(\omega, \omega_2)$ does indeed have this property. This will complete the proof. We isolate a useful lemma: \begin{lemma}[Possible values argument] Suppose $M$ is a transitive model of $\ZFC$ and $\Po$ is a partial order such that $\Po$ has the $\kappa$-chain condition in $M$. Let $X,Y \in M$ and let $f: X \to Y$ be some function in $M[G]$, but $f \notin M$. Then there exists a function $F \in M$, with $F: X \to \PP(Y)$ and such that for any $x \in X$, \[ f(x) \in F(x) \quad\text{and}\quad \left\lvert F(x) \right\rvert^M < \kappa. \] \end{lemma} What this is saying is that if $f$ is some new function that's generated, $M$ is still able to pin down the values of $f$ to at most $\kappa$ many values. \begin{proof} The idea behind the proof is easy: any possible value of $f$ gives us some condition in the poset $\Po$ which forces it. Since distinct values must have incompatible conditions, the $\kappa$-chain condition guarantees there are at most $\kappa$ such values. Here are the details. Let $\dot f$, $\check X$, $\check Y$ be names for $f$, $X$, $Y$. Start with a condition $p$ such that $p$ forces the sentence \[ \text{``$\dot f$ is a function from $\check X$ to $\check Y$''}. \] We'll work just below here. For each $x \in X$, we can consider (using the Axiom of Choice) a maximal strong antichain $A(x)$ of incompatible conditions $q \le p$ which forces $f(x)$ to equal some value $y \in Y$. Then, we let $F(x)$ collect all the resulting $y$-values. These are all possible values, and there are less than $\kappa$ of them. \end{proof} \section{Preserving cardinals} As we saw earlier, cardinal collapse can still occur. For the Continuum Hypothesis we want to avoid this possibility, so we can add in $\aleph_2^M$ many real numbers and have $\aleph_2^{M[G]} = \aleph_2^M$. It turns out that to verify this, one can check a weaker result. \begin{definition} For $M$ a transitive model of $\ZFC$ and $\Po \in M$ a poset, we say $\Po$ \vocab{preserves cardinals} if $\forall G \subseteq \Po$ an $M$-generic, the model $M$ and $M[G]$ agree on the sentence ``$\kappa$ is a cardinal'' for every $\kappa$. Similarly we say $\Po$ \vocab{preserves regular cardinals} if $M$ and $M[G]$ agree on the sentence ``$\kappa$ is a regular cardinal'' for every $\kappa$. \end{definition} Intuition: In a model $M$, it's possible that two ordinals which are in bijection in $V$ are no longer in bijection in $M$. Similarly, it might be the case that some cardinal $\kappa \in M$ is regular, but stops being regular in $V$ because some function $f : \ol\kappa \to \kappa$ is cofinal but happened to only exist in $V$. In still other words, ``$\kappa$ is a regular cardinal '' turns out to be a $\Pi_1$ statement too. Fortunately, each implies the other. We quote the following without proof. \begin{proposition}[Preserving cardinals $\iff$ preserving regular cardinals] Let $M$ be a transitive model of $\ZFC$. Let $\Po \in M$ be a poset. Then for any $\lambda$, $\Po$ preserves cardinalities less than or equal to $\lambda$ if and only if $\Po$ preserves regular cardinals less than or equal to $\lambda$. Moreover the same holds if we replace ``less than or equal to'' by ``greater than or equal to''. \end{proposition} Thus, to show that $\Po$ preserves cardinality and cofinalities it suffices to show that $\Po$ preserves regularity. The following theorem lets us do this: \begin{theorem}[Chain conditions preserve regular cardinals] Let $M$ be a transitive model of ZFC, and let $\Po \in M$ be a poset. Suppose $M$ satisfies the sentence ``$\Po$ has the $\kappa$ chain condition and $\kappa$ is regular''. Then $\Po$ preserves regularity greater than or equal to $\kappa$. \end{theorem} \begin{proof} Use the Possible Values Argument. \Cref{prob:chain}. \end{proof} In particular, if $\Po$ has the countable chain condition then $\Po$ preserves \emph{all} the cardinals (and cofinalities). Therefore, it remains to show that $\opname{Add}(\omega, \omega_2)$ satisfies the countable chain condition. \section{Infinite combinatorics} We now prove that $\opname{Add}(\omega, \omega_2)$ satisfies the countable chain condition. This is purely combinatorial, and so we work briefly. \begin{definition} Suppose $C$ is an uncountable collection of finite sets. $C$ is a \vocab{$\Delta$-system} if there exists a \vocab{root} $R$ with the condition that for any distinct $X$ and $Y$ in $C$, we have $X \cap Y = R$. \end{definition} \begin{lemma} [$\Delta$-System lemma] Suppose $C$ is an uncountable collection of finite sets. Then $\exists \ol C \subseteq C$ such that $\ol C$ is an uncountable $\Delta$-system. \end{lemma} \begin{proof} There exists an integer $n$ such that $C$ has uncountably many guys of length $n$. So we can throw away all the other sets, and just assume that all sets in $C$ have size $n$. We now proceed by induction on $n$. The base case $n=1$ is trivial, since we can just take $R = \varnothing$. For the inductive step we consider two cases. First, assume there exists an $a \in C$ contained in uncountably many $F \in C$. Throw away all the other guys. Then we can just delete $a$, and apply the inductive hypothesis. Now assume that for every $a$, only countably many members of $C$ have $a$ in them. We claim we can even get a $\ol C$ with $R = \varnothing$. First, pick $F_0 \in C$. It's straightforward to construct an $F_1$ such that $F_1 \cap F_0 = \varnothing$. And we can just construct $F_2, F_3, \dots$ \end{proof} \begin{lemma} For all $\kappa$, $\opname{Add}(\omega, \kappa)$ satisfies the countable chain condition. \end{lemma} \begin{proof} Assume not. Let \[ \left\{ p_\alpha : \alpha < \omega_1 \right\} \] be a strong antichain. Let \[ C = \left\{ \dom(p_\alpha) : \alpha < \omega_1 \right\}. \] Let $\ol C \subseteq C$ be such that $\ol C$ is uncountable, and $\ol C$ is a $\Delta$-system with root $R$. Then let \[ B = \left\{ p_\alpha : \dom(p_\alpha) \in R \right\}. \] Each $p_\alpha \in B$ is a function $p_\alpha : R \to \{0,1\}$, so there are two that are the same. \end{proof} Thus, we have proven that the Continuum Hypothesis cannot be proven in $\ZFC$. \section\problemhead \begin{problem} \label{prob:chain} Let $M$ be a transitive model of ZFC, and let $\Po \in M$ be a poset. Suppose $M$ satisfies the sentence ``$\Po$ has the $\kappa$ chain condition and $\kappa$ is regular''. Show that $\Po$ preserves regularity greater than or equal to $\kappa$. \begin{hint} Assume not, and take $\lambda > \kappa$ regular in $M$; if $f : \ol \lambda \to \lambda$, use the Possible Values Argument on $f$ to generate a function in $M$ that breaks cofinality of $\lambda$. \end{hint} \begin{sol} It suffices to show that $\Po$ preserves regularity greater than or equal to $\kappa$. Consider $\lambda > \kappa$ which is regular in $M$, and suppose for contradiction that $\lambda$ is not regular in $M[G]$. That's the same as saying that there is a function $f \in M[G]$, $f : \ol \lambda \to \lambda$ cofinal, with $\ol \lambda < \lambda$. Then by the Possible Values Argument, there exists a function $F \in M$ from $\ol \lambda \to \PP(\lambda)$ such that $f(\alpha) \in F(\alpha)$ and $\left\lvert F(\alpha) \right\rvert^M < \kappa$ for every $\alpha$. Now we work in $M$ again. Note for each $\alpha \in \ol\lambda$, $F(\alpha)$ is bounded in $\lambda$ since $\lambda$ is regular in $M$ and greater than $\left\lvert F(\alpha) \right\rvert$. Now look at the function $\ol \lambda \to \lambda$ in $M$ by just \[ \alpha \mapsto \cup F(\alpha) < \lambda. \] This is cofinal in $M$, contradiction. \end{sol} \end{problem}