Abstract:
We consider limit models, i.e., countable models representable as
unions of elementary chains of prime models over finite sets, but
not isomorphic to any prime model over a finite set. Any countable
model of small theory (i.e., of theory with countably many types)
is either prime over a tuple or limit. Moreover, any limit model
is either limit over a type, i.e., can be represented as a union
of elementary chain of pairwise isomorphic prime models over
realizations of some fixed type, or limit over a sequence of
pairwise distinct types, over which prime models are not
isomorphic.
In the paper, we characterize the property of existence of limit
model over a sequence of types in terms of relations of isolation
and semi-isolation: it is shown that there is a limit model over a
sequence of types if and only if there are infinitely many
non-symmetric transitions between types with respect to relation
of isolation, or, that is equivalent, with respect to relation of
semi-isolation. These criteria generalize the related criteria for
limit models over a type. We characterize, in terms of relations
of isolation and semi-isolation, the condition of existence of a
limit model over a subsequence of a given sequence of types. We
prove that if a theory has a limit model over a type then the
Morley rank of this theory is infinite. Moreover, some restriction
of the theory to some finite language has infinite Morley rank.
That estimation is precise: there is an $\omega$-stable theory
with a limit model over a type and having Morley rank $\omega$.
Keywords:limit model, sequence of types, Morley rank.