In this thesis, we study the complexity of some mathematical problems: in particular, those arising in computable analysis and algorithmic learning theory for algebraic structures. Our study is not limited to these two areas: indeed, in both cases, the results we obtain are tightly connected to ideas and tools coming from different areas of mathematical logic, including for example descriptive set theory and reverse mathematics.

After giving the necessary preliminaries, we first study the uniform computational strength of the Cantor–Bendixson theorem in the Weihrauch lattice. This work falls into the program connecting reverse mathematics and computable analysis via the framework of Weihrauch reducibility. We concentrate on problems related to perfect subsets of Polish spaces, studying the perfect set theorem, the Cantor–Bendixson theorem, and various problems arising from them. As far as we know, this is the first systematic study of problems at the level of $\mathbf {\Pi }^1_1\mathsf {-CA}_0$ in the Weihrauch lattice. We show that the strength of some of the problems we study depends on the topological properties of the Polish space under consideration, while others have the same strength once the space is rich enough.

We continue considering problems related to (induced) subgraphs. We provide results on the (effective) Wadge complexity of sets of graphs, that are also used to determine the Weihrauch degree of certain decision problems. The decision problems we consider are defined for a fixed graph G, and they take as input a graph H, answering whether G is an (induced) subgraph of H: we also consider the opposite problem (i.e., answering whether H is an induced subgraph of G). We conclude this part on (induced) subgraphs considering the Weihrauch degree of “search problems.”These problems are defined for a fixed graph G, and they take as input a graph H such that G is an (induced) subgraph H: the output is a copy of G in H. In both cases, we highlight differences and analogies between the subgraph and the induced subgraph relation.

We then move our attention to algorithmic learning theory, and we present the framework we use to study the learnability of families of algebraic structures: here, given a countable family of pairwise nonisomorphic structures $\mathfrak {K}$, a learner receives larger and larger pieces of an arbitrary copy of a structure in $\mathfrak {K}$ and, at each stage, is required to output a conjecture about the isomorphism type of such a structure. We say that $\mathfrak {K}$ is learnable if there exists a learner which eventually stabilizes to a correct guess. The framework was lacking a method for comparing the complexity of nonlearnable families, and so we propose a solution to this problem using tools coming from invariant descriptive set theory. To do so, we first prove that a family of structures is learnable if and only if its learning domain is continuously reducible to the relation $E_0$ of eventual agreement on infinite binary sequences and then, replacing $E_0$ with Borel equivalence relations of higher complexity, we obtain a new hierarchy of learning problems. This leads to the notion of E-learnability, where a family of structures $\mathfrak {K}$ is E-learnable, for a Borel equivalence relation E, if there is a continuous reduction from the isomorphism relation associated with $\mathfrak {K}$ to E. It is then natural to ask how the notion of E-learnability interacts with “classical” learning paradigms.

Finally, we study the number of mind changes that a learner needs to learn a given family, both from a topological and a combinatorial point of view, and we consider how the complexity of a learner (in terms of Turing reducibility) affects the number of mind changes for learning a given family.

Abstract prepared by Vittorio Cipriani.

E-mail: vittorio.cipriani17@gmail.com.

URL: https://air.uniud.it/handle/11390/1252226.

We present the true stages machinery and illustrate its applications to descriptive set theory. We use this machinery to provide new proofs of the Hausdorff–Kuratowski and Wadge theorems on the structure of $\mathbf {\Delta }^0_\xi $, Louveau and Saint Raymond’s separation theorem, and Louveau’s separation theorem.

We explore the complexity of Sacks’ Splitting Theorem in terms of the mind change functions associated with the members of the splits. We prove that, for any c.e. set A, there are low computably enumerable sets $A_0\sqcup A_1=A$ splitting A with $A_0$ and $A_1$ both totally $\omega ^2$-c.a. in terms of the Downey–Greenberg hierarchy, and this result cannot be improved to totally $\omega $-c.a. as shown in [9]. We also show that if cone avoidance is added then there is no level below $\varepsilon _0$ which can be used to characterize the complexity of $A_1$ and $A_2$.

In their logical analysis of theorems about disjoint rays in graphs, Barnes, Shore, and the author (hereafter BGS) introduced a weak choice scheme in second-order arithmetic, called the $\Sigma ^1_1$ axiom of finite choice (hereafter finite choice). This is a special case of the $\Sigma ^1_1$ axiom of choice ($\Sigma ^1_1\text {-}\mathsf {AC}_0$) introduced by Kreisel. BGS showed that $\Sigma ^1_1\text {-}\mathsf {AC}_0$ suffices for proving many of the aforementioned theorems in graph theory. While it is not known if these implications reverse, BGS also showed that those theorems imply finite choice (in some cases, with additional induction assumptions). This motivated us to study the proof-theoretic strength of finite choice. Using a variant of Steel forcing with tagged trees, we show that finite choice is not provable from the $\Delta ^1_1$-comprehension scheme (even over $\omega $-models). We also show that finite choice is a consequence of the arithmetic Bolzano–Weierstrass theorem (introduced by Friedman and studied by Conidis), assuming $\Sigma ^1_1$-induction. Our results were used by BGS to show that several theorems in graph theory cannot be proved using $\Delta ^1_1$-comprehension. Our results also strengthen results of Conidis.

The Friedman–Stanley jump, extensively studied by descriptive set theorists, is a fundamental tool for gauging the complexity of Borel isomorphism relations. This paper focuses on a natural computable analog of this jump operator for equivalence relations on $\omega $, written ${\dotplus }$, recently introduced by Clemens, Coskey, and Krakoff. We offer a thorough analysis of the computable Friedman–Stanley jump and its connections with the hierarchy of countable equivalence relations under the computable reducibility $\leq _c$. In particular, we show that this jump gives benchmark equivalence relations going up the hyperarithmetic hierarchy and we unveil the complicated highness hierarchy that arises from ${\dotplus }$.

Reverse Mathematics (RM hereafter) is a program in the foundations of mathematics where the aim is to identify the minimal axioms needed to prove a given theorem from ordinary, i.e., non-set theoretic, mathematics. This program has unveiled surprising regularities: the minimal axioms are very often equivalent to the theorem over the base theory, a weak system of ‘computable mathematics’, while most theorems are either provable in this base theory, or equivalent to one of only four logical systems. The latter plus the base theory are called the ‘Big Five’ and the associated equivalences are robust following Montalbán, i.e., stable under small variations of the theorems at hand. Working in Kohlenbach’s higher-order RM, we obtain two new and long series of equivalences based on theorems due to Bolzano, Weierstrass, Jordan, and Cantor; these equivalences are extremely robust and have no counterpart among the Big Five systems. Thus, higher-order RM is much richer than its second-order cousin, boasting at least two extra ‘Big’ systems.

Theorems of hyperarithmetic analysis (THAs) occupy an unusual neighborhood in the realms of reverse mathematics and recursion theoretic complexity. They lie above all the fixed (recursive) iterations of the Turing Jump but below ATR $_{0}$ (and so $\Pi _{1}^{1}$ -CA $_{0}$ or the hyperjump). There is a long history of proof theoretic principles which are THAs. Until Barnes, Goh, and Shore [ta] revealed an array of theorems in graph theory living in this neighborhood, there was only one mathematical denizen. In this paper we introduce a new neighborhood of theorems which are almost theorems of hyperarithmetic analysis (ATHAs). When combined with ACA $_{0}$ they are THAs but on their own they are very weak. We generalize several conservativity classes ( $\Pi _{1}^{1}$ , r- $\Pi _{2}^{1}$ , and Tanaka) and show that all our examples (and many others) are conservative over RCA $_{0}$ in all these senses and weak in other recursion theoretic ways as well. We provide denizens, both mathematical and logical. These results answer a question raised by Hirschfeldt and reported in Montalbán [2011] by providing a long list of pairs of principles one of which is very weak over RCA $_{0}$ but over ACA $_{0}$ is equivalent to the other which may be strong (THA) or very strong going up a standard hierarchy and at the end being stronger than full second order arithmetic.

This thesis is devoted to the exploration of the complexity of some mathematical problems using the framework of computable analysis and (effective) descriptive set theory. We will especially focus on Weihrauch reducibility as a means to compare the uniform computational strength of problems. After a short introduction of the relevant background notions, we investigate the uniform computational content of problems arising from theorems that lie at the higher levels of the reverse mathematics hierarchy.

We first analyze the strength of the open and clopen Ramsey theorems. Since there is not a canonical way to phrase these theorems as multi-valued functions, we identify eight different multi-valued functions (five corresponding to the open Ramsey theorem and three corresponding to the clopen Ramsey theorem) and study their degree from the point of view of Weihrauch, strong Weihrauch, and arithmetic Weihrauch reducibility.

We then discuss some new operators on multi-valued functions and study their algebraic properties and the relations with other previously studied operators on problems. In particular, we study the first-order part and the deterministic part of a problem f, capturing the Weihrauch degree of the strongest multi-valued problem that is reducible to f and that, respectively, has codomain $\mathbb {N}$ or is single-valued.

These notions proved to be extremely useful when exploring the Weihrauch degree of the problem $\mathsf {DS}$ of computing descending sequences in ill-founded linear orders. They allow us to show that $\mathsf {DS}$ , and the Weihrauch equivalent problem $\mathsf {BS}$ of finding bad sequences through non-well quasi-orders, while being very “hard” to solve, are rather weak in terms of uniform computational strength. We then generalize $\mathsf {DS}$ and $\mathsf {BS}$ by considering $\boldsymbol {\Gamma }$ -presented orders, where $\boldsymbol {\Gamma }$ is a Borel pointclass or $\boldsymbol {\Delta }^1_1$ , $\boldsymbol {\Sigma }^1_1$ , $\boldsymbol {\Pi }^1_1$ . We study the obtained $\mathsf {DS}$ -hierarchy and $\mathsf {BS}$ -hierarchy of problems in comparison with the (effective) Baire hierarchy and show that they do not collapse at any finite level.

Finally, we work in the context of geometric measure theory and we focus on the characterization, from the point of view of descriptive set theory, of some conditions involving the notions of Hausdorff/Fourier dimension and Salem sets. We first work in the hyperspace $\mathbf {K}([0,1])$ of compact subsets of $[0,1]$ and show that the closed Salem sets form a $\boldsymbol {\Pi }^0_3$ -complete family. This is done by characterizing the complexity of the family of sets having sufficiently large Hausdorff or Fourier dimension. We also show that the complexity does not change if we increase the dimension of the ambient space and work in $\mathbf {K}([0,1]^d)$ . We also generalize the results by relaxing the compactness of the ambient space and show that the closed Salem sets are still $\boldsymbol {\Pi }^0_3$ -complete when we endow $\mathbf {F}(\mathbb {R}^d)$ with the Fell topology. A similar result holds also for the Vietoris topology.

We conclude by analyzing the same notions from the point of view of effective descriptive set theory and Type-2 Theory of Effectivity, and show that the complexities remain the same also in the lightface case. In particular, we show that the family of all the closed Salem sets is $\Pi ^0_3$ -complete. We furthermore characterize the Weihrauch degree of the functions computing Hausdorff and Fourier dimension of closed sets.

Abstract prepared by Manlio Valenti.

E-mail:manliovalenti@gmail.com

We examine the degree structure $\operatorname {\mathrm {\mathbf {ER}}}$ of equivalence relations on $\omega $ under computable reducibility. We examine when pairs of degrees have a least upper bound. In particular, we show that sufficiently incomparable pairs of degrees do not have a least upper bound but that some incomparable degrees do, and we characterize the degrees which have a least upper bound with every finite equivalence relation. We show that the natural classes of finite, light, and dark degrees are definable in $\operatorname {\mathrm {\mathbf {ER}}}$. We show that every equivalence relation has continuum many self-full strong minimal covers, and that $\mathbf {d}\oplus \mathbf {\operatorname {\mathrm {\mathbf {Id}}}_1}$ needn’t be a strong minimal cover of a self-full degree $\mathbf {d}$. Finally, we show that the theory of the degree structure $\operatorname {\mathrm {\mathbf {ER}}}$ as well as the theories of the substructures of light degrees and of dark degrees are each computably isomorphic with second-order arithmetic.

Cantor’s first set theory paper (1874) establishes the uncountability of ${\mathbb R}$ . We study this most basic mathematical fact formulated in the language of higher-order arithmetic. In particular, we investigate the logical and computational properties of ${\mathsf {NIN}}$ (resp. ${\mathsf {NBI}}$ ), i.e., the third-order statement there is no injection resp. bijection from  $[0,1]$ to ${\mathbb N}$ . Working in Kohlenbach’s higher-order Reverse Mathematics, we show that ${\mathsf {NIN}}$ and ${\mathsf {NBI}}$ are hard to prove in terms of (conventional) comprehension axioms, while many basic theorems, like Arzelà’s convergence theorem for the Riemann integral (1885), are shown to imply ${\mathsf {NIN}}$ and/or ${\mathsf {NBI}}$ . Working in Kleene’s higher-order computability theory based on S1–S9, we show that the following fourth-order process based on ${\mathsf {NIN}}$ is similarly hard to compute: for a given $[0,1]\rightarrow {\mathbb N}$ -function, find reals in the unit interval that map to the same natural number.

Theorems of hyperarithmetic analysis (THAs) occupy an unusual neighborhood in the realms of reverse mathematics and recursion-theoretic complexity. They lie above all the fixed (recursive) iterations of the Turing jump but below ATR $_{0}$ (and so $\Pi _{1}^{1}$ -CA $_{0}$ or the hyperjump). There is a long history of proof-theoretic principles which are THAs. Until the papers reported on in this communication, there was only one mathematical example. Barnes, Goh, and Shore [1] analyze an array of ubiquity theorems in graph theory descended from Halin’s [9] work on rays in graphs. They seem to be typical applications of ACA $_{0}$ but are actually THAs. These results answer Question 30 of Montalbán’s Open Questions in Reverse Mathematics [19] and supply several other natural principles of different and unusual levels of complexity.

This work led in [25] to a new neighborhood of the reverse mathematical zoo: almost theorems of hyperarithmetic analysis (ATHAs). When combined with ACA $_{0}$ they are THAs but on their own are very weak. Denizens both mathematical and logical are provided. Generalizations of several conservativity classes ( $\Pi _{1}^{1}$ , r- $\Pi _{1}^{1}$ , and Tanaka) are defined and these ATHAs as well as many other principles are shown to be conservative over RCA $_{0}$ in all these senses and weak in other recursion-theoretic ways as well. These results answer a question raised by Hirschfeldt and reported in [19] by providing a long list of pairs of principles one of which is very weak over RCA $_{0}$ but over ACA $_{0}$ is equivalent to the other which may be strong (THA) or very strong going up a standard hierarchy and at the end being stronger than full second-order arithmetic.

Given a finite lattice L that can be embedded in the recursively enumerable (r.e.) Turing degrees $\langle \mathcal {R}_{\mathrm {T}},\leq _{\mathrm {T}}\rangle $ , we do not in general know how to characterize the degrees $\mathbf {d}\in \mathcal {R}_{\mathrm {T}}$ below which L can be bounded. The important characterizations known are of the $L_7$ and $M_3$ lattices, where the lattices are bounded below $\mathbf {d}$ if and only if $\mathbf {d}$ contains sets of “fickleness” $>\omega $ and $\geq \omega ^\omega $ respectively. We work towards finding a lattice that characterizes the levels above $\omega ^2$ , the first non-trivial level after $\omega $ . We introduced a lattice-theoretic property called “ $3$ -directness” to describe lattices that are no “wider” or “taller” than $L_7$ and $M_3$ . We exhaust the 3-direct lattices L, but they turn out to also characterize the $>\omega $ or $\geq \omega ^\omega $ levels, if L is not already embeddable below all non-zero r.e. degrees. We also considered upper semilattices (USLs) by removing the bottom meet(s) of some 3-direct lattices, but the removals did not change the levels characterized. This leads us to conjecture that a USL characterizes the same r.e. degrees as the lattice on which the USL is based. We discovered three 3-direct lattices besides $M_3$ that also characterize the $\geq \omega ^\omega $ -levels. Our search for a $>\omega ^2$ -candidate therefore involves the lattice-theoretic problem of finding lattices that do not contain any of the four $\geq \omega ^\omega $ -lattices as sublattices.

Abstract prepared by Liling Ko.

E-mail: ko.390@osu.edu

URL: http://sites.nd.edu/liling-ko/

We investigate computability theoretic and descriptive set theoretic contents of various kinds of analytic choice principles by performing a detailed analysis of the Medvedev lattice of $\Sigma ^1_1$ -closed sets. Among others, we solve an open problem on the Weihrauch degree of the parallelization of the $\Sigma ^1_1$ -choice principle on the integers. Harrington’s unpublished result on a jump hierarchy along a pseudo-well-ordering plays a key role in solving this problem.

Following our [6], though with somewhat different methods here, further variants of Goodstein sequences are introduced in terms of parameterized Ackermann–Péter functions. Each of the sequences is shown to terminate, and the proof-theoretic strengths of these facts are calibrated by means of ordinal assignments, yielding independence results for a range of theories: PRA, PA, $\Sigma ^1_1$ -DC $_0$ , ATR $_0$ , up to ID $_1$ . The key is the so-called “Hardy hierarchy” of proof-theoretic bounding finctions, providing a uniform method for associating Goodstein-type sequences with parameterized normal form representations of positive integers.

This dissertation is highly motivated by d.r.e. Nondensity Theorem, which is interesting in two perspectives. One is that it contrasts Sacks Density Theorem, and hence shows that the structures of r.e. degrees and d.r.e. degrees are different. The other is to investigate what other properties a maximal degree can have.

In Chapter 1, we briefly review the backgrounds of Recursion Theory which motivate the topics of this dissertation.

In Chapter 2, we introduce the notion of $(m,n)$ -cupping degree. It is closely related to the notion of maximal d.r.e. degree. In fact, a $(2,2)$ -cupping degree is maximal d.r.e. degree. We then prove that there exists an isolated $(2,\omega )$ -cupping degree by combining strategies for maximality and isolation with some efforts.

Chapter 3 is part of a joint project with Steffen Lempp, Yiqun Liu, Keng Meng Ng, Cheng Peng, and Guohua Wu. In this chapter, we prove that any finite boolean algebra can be embedded into d.r.e. degrees as a final segment. We examine the proof of d.r.e. Nondensity Theorem and make developments to the technique to make it work for our theorem. The goal of the project is to see what lattice can be embedded into d.r.e. degrees as a final segment, as we observe that the technique has potential be developed further to produce other interesting results.

Abstract prepared by Yong Liu.

E-mail: liuyong0112@nju.edu.cn

In this thesis, we study Turing degrees in the context of classical recursion theory. What we are interested in is the partially ordered structures $\mathcal {D}_{\alpha }$ for ordinals $\alpha <\omega ^2$ and $\mathcal {D}_{a}$ for notations $a\in \mathcal {O}$ with $|a|_{o}\geq \omega ^2$ .

The dissertation is motivated by the $\Sigma _{1}$ -elementary substructure problem: Can one structure in the following structures $\mathcal {R}\subsetneqq \mathcal {D}_{2}\subsetneqq \dots \subsetneqq \mathcal {D}_{\omega }\subsetneqq \mathcal {D}_{\omega +1}\subsetneqq \dots \subsetneqq \mathcal {D(\leq \textbf {0}')}$ be a $\Sigma _{1}$ -elementary substructure of another? For finite levels of the Ershov hierarchy, Cai, Shore, and Slaman [Journal of Mathematical Logic, vol. 12 (2012), p. 1250005] showed that $\mathcal {D}_{n}\npreceq _{1}\mathcal {D}_{m}$ for any $n < m$ . We consider the problem for transfinite levels of the Ershov hierarchy and show that $\mathcal {D}_{\omega }\npreceq _{1}\mathcal {D}_{\omega +1}$ . The techniques in Chapters 2 and 3 are motivated by two remarkable theorems, Sacks Density Theorem and the d.r.e. Nondensity Theorem.

In Chapter 1, we first briefly review the background of the research areas involved in this thesis, and then review some basic definitions and classical theorems. We also summarize our results in Chapter 2 to Chapter 4. In Chapter 2, we show that for any $\omega $ -r.e. set D and r.e. set B with $D<_{T}B$ , there is an $\omega +1$ -r.e. set A such that $D<_{T}A<_{T}B$ . In Chapter 3, we show that for some notation a with $|a|_{o}=\omega ^{2}$ , there is an incomplete $\omega +1$ -r.e. set A such that there are no a-r.e. sets U with $A<_{T}U<_{T}K$ . In Chapter 4, we generalize above results to higher levels (up to $\varepsilon _{0}$ ). We investigate Lachlan sets and minimal degrees on transfinite levels and show that for any notation a, there exists a $\Delta ^{0}_{2}$ -set A such that A is of minimal degree and $A\not \equiv _T U$ for all a-r.e. sets U.

Abstract prepared by Cheng Peng.

E-mail: pengcheng@nankai.edu.cn

Martin’s conjecture is an attempt to classify the behavior of all definable functions on the Turing degrees under strong set theoretic hypotheses. Very roughly it says that every such function is either eventually constant, eventually equal to the identity function or eventually equal to a transfinite iterate of the Turing jump. It is typically divided into two parts: the first part states that every function is either eventually constant or eventually above the identity function and the second part states that every function which is above the identity is eventually equal to a transfinite iterate of the jump. If true, it would provide an explanation for the unique role of the Turing jump in computability theory and rule out many types of constructions on the Turing degrees.

In this thesis, we will introduce a few tools which we use to prove several cases of Martin’s conjecture. It turns out that both these tools and these results on Martin’s conjecture have some interesting consequences both for Martin’s conjecture and for a few related topics.

The main tool that we introduce is a basis theorem for perfect sets, improving a theorem due to Groszek and Slaman. We also introduce a general framework for proving certain special cases of Martin’s conjecture which unifies a few pre-existing proofs. We will use these tools to prove three main results about Martin’s conjecture: that it holds for regressive functions on the hyperarithmetic degrees (answering a question of Slaman and Steel), that part 1 holds for order preserving functions on the Turing degrees, and that part 1 holds for a class of functions that we introduce, called measure preserving functions.

This last result has several interesting consequences for the study of Martin’s conjecture. In particular, it shows that part 1 of Martin’s conjecture is equivalent to a statement about the Rudin-Keisler order on ultrafilters on the Turing degrees. This suggests several possible strategies for working on part 1 of Martin’s conjecture, which we will discuss.

The basis theorem that we use to prove these results also has some applications outside of Martin’s conjecture. We will use it to prove a few theorems related to Sacks’ question about whether it is provable in $\mathsf {ZFC}$ that every locally countable partial order of size continuum embeds into the Turing degrees. We will show that in a certain extension of $\mathsf {ZF}$ (which is incompatible with $\mathsf {ZFC}$ ), this holds for all partial orders of height two, but not for all partial orders of height three. Our proof also yields an analogous result for Borel partial orders and Borel embeddings in $\mathsf {ZF}$ , which shows that the Borel version of Sacks’ question has a negative answer.

We will end the thesis with a list of open questions related to Martin’s conjecture, which we hope will stimulate further research.

Abstract prepared by Patrick Lutz.

E-mail: pglutz@berkeley.edu

Jockusch showed that 2-generic degrees are downward dense below a 2-generic degree. That is, if a is 2-generic, and $0 < {\bf{b}} < {\bf{a}}$, then there is a 2-generic g with $0 < {\bf{g}} < {\bf{b}}.$ In the case of 1-generic degrees Kumabe, and independently Chong and Downey, constructed a minimal degree computable from a 1-generic degree. We explore the tightness of these results.

We solve a question of Barmpalias and Lewis-Pye by constructing a minimal degree computable from a weakly 2-generic one. While there have been full approximation constructions of ${\rm{\Delta }}_3^0$ minimal degrees before, our proof is rather novel since it is a computable full approximation construction where both the generic and the minimal degrees are ${\rm{\Delta }}_3^0 - {\rm{\Delta }}_2^0$.

A correction is needed to our paper: to the definition contained within the statement of Lemma 1.5 and thus arguments around it in §3.

We present several results that rely on arguments involving the combinatorics of “bushy trees”. These include the fact that there are arbitrarily slow-growing diagonally noncomputable (DNC) functions that compute no Kurtz random real, as well as an extension of a result of Kumabe in which we establish that there are DNC functions relative to arbitrary oracles that are of minimal Turing degree. Along the way, we survey some of the existing instances of bushy tree arguments in the literature.