Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 iii Paper 116 2 b Solution 2026-09-28
Suppose that a first-order formula described the inaccessible cardinal , so that were the least ordinal with . Since is inaccessible, is a model of ZFC. Apply the Lévy reflection theorem inside this model to the single formula . There is some for whichThe right side holds, so the left side contradicts the asserted minimality of . Hence no first-order formula describes an inaccessible cardinal, as recorded by ordinal described by a first-order formula.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ii Paper 3 16F Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
The compactness theorem says that a set of first-order sentences has a model if and only if every finite subset of has a model. One implication follows by taking the same model. Conversely, if had no model, then by the Godel completeness theorem it would prove a contradiction. A formal proof uses only finitely many assumptions, so some finite subset of would already have no model. This contradiction proves compactness.
The Upward Lowenheim-Skolem theorem says that if an -theory has an infinite model, then it has models of arbitrarily large cardinality; more precisely, it has a model of cardinality at least for every cardinal . Add new constants for and the sentencesEvery finite subset of the enlarged theory can be interpreted in the given infinite model, since it mentions only finitely many constants. Compactness supplies a model of the whole enlarged theory, in which the are pairwise distinct. Its reduct to is a model of having at least elements. If , the Downward Lowenheim-Skolem theorem gives a model of cardinality exactly .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 iii Paper 116 3 a Solution 2026-09-28
Since the strongly inaccessible cardinal is inaccessible, is a model of ZFC. The Downward Lowenheim-Skolem theorem gives an elementary substructureof cardinality such thatOne may obtain concretely as the Skolem hull of this set; its cardinality remains because the language of set theory is countable and .
Apply the Mostowski collapse theorem to and write for the collapse. Then is a transitive set, , and fixes pointwise. It also fixes , because it fixes every ordinal below . By elementarity, satisfies ZFC and regards as a kappa-complete filter that is a nonprincipal ultrafilter on . Therefore, with ,The internal ultrafilter need not equal the original .