Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-model-theory-and-godel-s-incompleteness-theorems-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2009/b/4/c/ii/alpha/solution
Past exam of the model theory and Gödel's incompleteness theorems course of the University of Oxford 2009 B 4 c ii α Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
If a model of contains as a substructure, every existential sentence true in remains true in : use the same witness tuple and preservation of quantifier-free truth. Hence satisfies the required joint theory.
For the existential-theory embedding criterion, conversely suppose that joint theory has a model. Expand the language by a constant for each , and add the atomic and negated atomic diagram to . Any finite collection of its literals is a quantifier-free conjunction true of the corresponding tuple in . Replacing those named constants by variables and existentially closing gives a sentence in . A model of the assumed joint theory can supply its witnesses, and hence an expansion satisfying those finitely many diagram requirements and any finite subset of .
Compactness therefore gives a model of . Its named Elements define an embedding of into its -reduct: inequalities ensure injectivity, and all function and relation literals ensure preservation and reflection. Replace the ambient model by an isomorphic copy identifying this image with itself. Thus a model of containing exists. The diagram step explains how parameter-free existential information nevertheless yields an embedding of the whole structure.
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