Paper detail

Forcing a $\square(κ)$-like principle to hold at a weakly compact cardinal

Hellsten \cite{MR2026390} proved that when $κ$ is $Π^1_n$-indescribable, the \emph{$n$-club} subsets of $κ$ provide a filter base for the $Π^1_n$-indescribability ideal, and hence can also be used to give a characterization of $Π^1_n$-indescribable sets which resembles the definition of stationarity: a set $S\subseteqκ$ is $Π^1_n$-indescribable if and only if $S\cap C\neq\emptyset$ for every $n$-club $C\subseteqκ$. By replacing clubs with $n$-clubs in the definition of $\Box(κ)$, one obtains a $\Box(κ)$-like principle $\Box_n(κ)$, a version of which was first considered by Brickhill and Welch \cite{BrickhillWelch}. The principle $\Box_n(κ)$ is consistent with the $Π^1_n$-indescribability of $κ$ but inconsistent with the $Π^1_{n+1}$-indescribability of $κ$. By generalizing the standard forcing to add a $\Box(κ)$-sequence, we show that if $κ$ is $κ^+$-weakly compact and $\mathrm{GCH}$ holds then there is a cofinality-preserving forcing extension in which $κ$ remains $κ^+$-weakly compact and $\Box_1(κ)$ holds. If $κ$ is $Π^1_2$-indescribable and $\mathrm{GCH}$ holds then there is a cofinality-preserving forcing extension in which $κ$ is $κ^+$-weakly compact, $\Box_1(κ)$ holds and every weakly compact subset of $κ$ has a weakly compact proper initial segment. As an application, we prove that, relative to a $Π^1_2$-indescribable cardinal, it is consistent that $κ$ is $κ^+$-weakly compact, every weakly compact subset of $κ$ has a weakly compact proper initial segment, and there exist two weakly compact subsets $S^0$ and $S^1$ of $κ$ such that there is no $β<κ$ for which both $S^0\capβ$ and $S^1\capβ$ are weakly compact.