Beyond First Order Model Theory Volume I

Model theory is one of the central branches of mathematical logic. The field has evolved rapidly in the last few decades. This book is an introduction to current trends in model theory, and contains a collection of articles authored by top researchers in the field. It is intended as a reference for students as well as senior researchers.

A coherent introduction to current trends in model theory Contains articles by some of the most influential logicians of the last hundred years. No other publication brings these distinguished authors together Suitable as a reference for advanced undergraduate, postgraduates, and researchers Material presented in the book (e.g, abstract elementary classes, first-order logics with dependent sorts, and applications of infinitary logics in set theory) is not easily accessible in the current literature The various chapters in the book can be studied independently.

The traditional logical language of model theory is first-order logic. This language was proposed in the late 19th by G. Frege, and throughout the 20th century, it remained at the center of the development of model theory. Model theory is one of the central branches of mathematical logic and the field has evolved rapidly in the last few decades. This book is an introduction to current trends in model theory, and contains a collection of articles authored by top researchers in the field. It is intended as a reference for students (graduate and advanced undergraduate) and senior researchers alike.

Since the second edition of this book (1977), Model Theory has changed radically, and is now concerned with fields such as classification (or stability) theory, nonstandard analysis, model-theoretic algebra, recursive model theory, abstract model theory, and model theories for a host of nonfirst order logics. Model theoretic methods have also had a major impact on set theory, recursion theory, and proof theory. This new edition has been updated to take account of these changes, while preserving its usefulness as a first textbook in model theory. Whole new sections have been added, as well as new exercises and references. A number of updates, improvements and corrections have been made to the main text.

Model theory investigates mathematical structures by means of formal languages. So-called first-order languages have proved particularly useful in this respect. This text introduces the model theory of first-order logic, avoiding syntactical issues not too relevant to model theory. In this spirit, the compactness theorem is proved via the algebraically useful ultrsproduct technique (rather than via the completeness theorem of first-order logic). This leads fairly quickly to algebraic applications, like Malcev's local theorems of group theory and, after a little more preparation, to Hilbert's Nullstellensatz of field theory. Steinitz dimension theory for field extensions is obtained as a special case of a much more general model-theoretic treatment of strongly minimal theories. There is a final chapter on the models of the first-order theory of the integers as an abelian group. Both these topics appear here for the first time in a textbook at the introductory level, and are used to give hints to further reading and to recent developments in the field, such as stability (or classification) theory.

This is an up-to-date textbook of model theory taking the reader from first definitions to Morley's theorem and the elementary parts of stability theory. Besides standard results such as the compactness and omitting types theorems, it also describes various links with algebra, including the Skolem-Tarski method of quantifier elimination, model completeness, automorphism groups and omega-categoricity, ultraproducts, O-minimality and structures of finite Morley rank. The material on back-and-forth equivalences, interpretations and zero-one laws can serve as an introduction to applications of model theory in computer science. Each chapter finishes with a brief commentary on the literature and suggestions for further reading. This book will benefit graduate students with an interest in model theory.