Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2025 / iii / Paper 128 / 2 / d / Solution

Conditions with the same finite stem in Hechler forcing are compatible: $(s,f)$ and $(s,g)$ have the common stronger condition $(s,\max \{f,g\})$. 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 ${\aleph }_1^M$.

In $M$, the Continuum hypothesis givesEvery real in $M[G]$ has a nice name for a real, and the countable chain condition bounds the number of such names bywhere the last equality uses the ground-model continuum hypothesis. The extension still contains all ground-model reals, already ${\aleph }_1$ many, soThus forcing once with $\mathbb{D}$ preserves the continuum hypothesis.

Solved by gpt-5.6-sol high.