MTH302

Name:

Roll Number:

Practice final
MTH302 - Set Theory and Mathematical Logic

(Odd Semester 2024/25, IIT Kanpur)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Write your Name and Roll number above.

2. This exam contains 5 + 1 questions and is worth 50% of your grade.

3. Answer ALL questions.

 Page 2 MTH302

Question 1. [5 × 2 Points]

For each of the following statements, determine whether it is true or false. No justification required.

(i) There exists a sequence of ordinals hαn : n < ωi such that αn+1 < αn for every n < ω.
(ii) (Q, <) is an elementary submodel of (R, <).
(iii) Every consistent first order theory has an infinite model.

(iv) Th([0, 1], <) is ω-categorical.

(v) If A ⊆ ω is c.e., then A + A = {m + n : m, n ∈ A} is c.e.

Solution

(i) False. Otherwise, {αn : n < ω} is a nonempty set of ordinals with no least member.
(ii) True. See HW 34.
(iii) False. Let T = {(∀x)(∀y)(x = y)}.
(iv) True. Showed in class.

(v) True. Showed in class.

 Page 3 MTH302

Question 2. [10 Points]

Call a subset E ⊆ R mid-point free if there do not exist x < y < z in E such that x + z = 2y.

(a) [2 Point] State Zorn’s lemma.

(b) [4 Points] Show that there is a maximal mid-point free set E ⊆ R. This means that E is mid-point free
and for every x ∈ R \ E, E ∪ {x} is not mid-point free.

(c) [4 Points] Show that every maximal mid-point free set has cardinality c.

Solution

(a) Every Let (P, ) be a partial ordering such that every chain in P has an upper bound in P . Then (P, )
has a maximal element.

(b) Let P be the set of all mid-point free E ⊆ R ordered by ⊆. Then P is nonempty since ∅ ∈ P .
S
Let C be a chain in P . Put A = C. Then for every E ∈ C, E ⊆ A. We claim that E ∈ P . Suppose not.
Then there are a < b < c in E such that 2b = a + c. Choose E1 , E2 , E3 in C such that a ∈ E1 , b ∈ E2
and c ∈ E2 . As C is a chain, one of the sets, say E1 is a superset of the other two. This implies that
{a, b, c} ⊆ E1 . But this contradicts the fact that E1 is mid-point free. So A ∈ P is an upper bound of C.
By Zorn’s lemma, P has a maximal member E. It follows that E is mid-point free and for every x ∈ R\E,
E ∪ {x} is not mid-point free.
(c) It suffices to show that if E ⊆ R is mid-point free and |E| < c, then there exists x ∈ R \ E such that
E ∪ {x} is mid-point free. For each pair x 6= y in E, there are exactly 3 points z ∈ R such that {x, y, z}
is not mid-pointSfree – namely, x + y = 2z, y + z = 2x and x + z = 2y. Let Bx,y be the set of all these
z’s. Then B = {Bx,y : x, y ∈ E ∧ x 6= y} is a union of |E × E| < c sets each of size 3. So |B| < c and
hence |E ∪ B| < c. Choose x ∈ R \ (E ∪ B). Then E ∪ {x} is mid-point free.
 Page 4 MTH302

Question 3. [10 Points]

Let L be the empty language. For each n ≥ 2, recall that ∃≥n denotes the following L-sentence:
 
^
(∃x1 )(∃x2 ) . . . (∃xn )  ¬(xi = xj )
i<j≤n

Define T = {∃≥n : n ≥ 2}. Prove the following.

(a) [2 Points] T does not have a finite model.

(b) [2 Points] T is consistent.

(c) [2 Points] T is ω-categorical.

(d) [2 Points] T is complete.
(e) [2 Points] {φ : T ` φ} is computable.

Solution
As L is empty, an L-structure is just a nonempty set M (its domain).

(a) Suppose M is finite and |M | = n. Then M |= ¬(∃≥n+1 ). So M does not model T .

(b) Every infinite set M is a model of T . As T has a model, it is consistent.
(c) Let |M | = |N | = ω. Then any bijection between M and N is an isomorphism because L is empty. So
every L-theory (and hence T ) is ω-categorical.

(d) Since L is countable, T is ω-categorical and T has no finite models, it is complete (Slide 141).
(e) Since T is computable and complete, {ψ : T ` ψ} is computable (Slide 165).
 Page 5 MTH302

Question 4. [10 Points]

Let T = Th(Z, <). So T is an L-theory where L = {<}.

(a) [2 Point] Is T a complete theory? Justify your response.

(b) [2 Point] State the compactness theorem for first order logic.
(c) [6 Points] Show that T is not ω-categorical. Hint: Put L1 = {<, c, d} where c, d are constant symbols
and consider the L1 -theory T1 = T ∪ {ψn : n ≥ 1} where ψn is says “there are at least n elements between
c and d”.

Solution

(a) Yes. Because every L-sentence is either true or false in (Z, <).

(b) Let T be a first order theory such that every finite subset of T has a model. Then T has a model.
(c) This is similar to the application of compactness theorem on Slide 140.
For each n ≥ 1, consider the L1 -structure Mn = (Z, <, cM = −n, dM = n). Then Mn |= T ∪{ψk : k ≤ n}.
It follows that every finite subset of T has a model. Hence T has a model and as L1 is countable, by
the Lowenheim-Skolem theorem it must have a countable model say A = (A, <A , cA , dA ). Then |A| = ω
since (Z, <) |= ∃≥n for every n ≥ 2. Furthermore, (A, <A ) |= T and it is a linear ordering that has two
elements cA and dA with infinitely many members in between. Since (Z, <) does not have such elements,
it follows that (A, <A ) is not isomorphic to (Z, <). So T is not ω-categorical.
 Page 6 MTH302

Question 5 [10 Points]

Let N = (ω, 0, S, +, ·) be the standard model of PA. Define

TrueN = {pψq : N |= ψ} and FalseN = {pψq : N |= ¬ψ}

(a) [3 Points] Let E ⊆ ω. What does it mean to say that E is definable in N ?

(b) [3 Points] State Tarski’s theorem on undefinability of truth in arithmetic.
(c) [4 Points] Suppose S ⊆ ω, TrueN ⊆ S and FalseN ⊆ (ω \ S). Show that S is not computable.

Solution

(a) There is an LP A -formula φ(x) such that for every n ∈ ω,

n ∈ E ⇐⇒ N |= φ(n)

(b) TrueN is not definable in N .

(c) Suppose S is computable. We will show that TrueN is computable which is impossible since every
computable subset of ω is definable in N while TrueN is not definable in N .
Consider a program P that on input n does the following. If n = pψq for some LPA -sentence ψ, then
output 1S (n). Otherwise output 0. Let us check that P computes the characteristic function of TrueN .
First suppose n ∈ TrueN . Then there is an LPA -sentence ψ such that n = pψq and N |= ψ. So P on
input n outputs 1S (n) = 1 (since n ∈ TrueN ⊆ S).
Next suppose n ∈ / TrueN . Then either n is not the Gödel number of an LPA -sentence in which case P
outputs 0. Or n is the Gödel number of an LPA -sentence ψ and N |= ¬ψ which means n ∈ FalseN and
so P outputs 1S (n) = 0 (as FalseN ⊆ (ω \ S)).
 Page 7 MTH302

Bonus Question [5 Points]

Recall that ϕe is the eth partial computable function on ω. Define A = {e : e ∈ dom(ϕe ) and ϕe (e) = 0} and
B = {e : e ∈ dom(ϕe ) and ϕe (e) = 1}. Show that A, B ⊆ ω are disjoint c.e. sets and there is no computable
R ⊆ ω such that A ⊆ R and B ⊆ ω \ R.
Solution
That A, B are c.e. is easy to check. Next, towards a contradiction, suppose R ⊆ ω is computable, A ⊆ R
and B ⊆ ω \ R. Then h(n) = 1R (n) is computable (here 1R is the characteristic function of R). So there
must be some e? < ω such that h = ϕe? . In particular, ϕe? is total. Now check that h(e? ) 6= ϕe? (e? ). A
contradiction.

End of Exam