Conditions with the same finite stem in Hechler forcing are compatible: and have the common stronger condition . Since there are only countably many finite stems, Hechler forcing is sigma-centered and hence has the countable chain condition for forcing. It therefore preserves .
In , the Continuum hypothesis gives
Every real in has a nice name for a real, and the countable chain condition bounds the number of such names by
where the last equality uses the ground-model continuum hypothesis. The extension still contains all ground-model reals, already many, so
Thus forcing once with preserves the continuum hypothesis.
Sigma-centered forcing Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
A forcing order is sigma-centered when it is the union of countably many centered subsets. Every sigma-centered forcing has the countable chain condition for forcing.
A well-pruned set-theoretic tree that is an Aronszajn tree and a Suslin tree gives a forcing with the countable chain condition for forcing: stronger nodes extend weaker ones. The dense subsets of a forcing order of nodes at or above each level cannot all be met by a filter in an ordered set, since that would produce a cofinal branch. Thus fails. When the continuum exceeds , full Martin axiom includes this instance.