There are many classical connections between the proof-theoretic strength of systems of arithmetic and the provable totality of recursive functions. In this paper we study the provability strength of the totality of recursive functions by investigating the degree structure induced by the relative provability order of recursive algorithms. We prove several results about this proof-theoretic degree structure using recursion-theoretic techniques such as diagonalization and the Recursion Theorem.

We develop a new method for constructing hyperimmune minimal degrees and construct an ANR degree which is a minimal cover of a minimal degree.

We study the global properties of [Formula: see text], the Turing degrees of the n-r.e. sets. In Theorem 1.5, we show that the first order of [Formula: see text] is not decidable. In Theorem 1.6, we show that for any two n and m with n < m, [Formula: see text] is not a Σ1-substructure of [Formula: see text].

We show that there is a non-GL2 degree which is a minimal cover of a minimal degree. This answers a question by Lerman.

We show that there is a strong minimal pair in the computably enumerable Turing degrees, i.e. a pair of nonzero c.e. degrees a and b such that a∩b = 0 and for any nonzero c.e. degree x ≤ a, b ∪ x ≥ a.

We investigate the “unprovability of unprovability”. Given a sentence P and a fixed base theory T, the unprovability of P is the sentence “\ ”. We show that the unprovability of an unprovable true sentence can be “hard to prove”.

We present some abstract theorems showing how domination properties equivalent to being $\overline{GL}_{2}$ or array nonrecursive can be used to construct sets generic for different notions of forcing. These theorems are then applied to give simple proofs of some known results. We also give a direct uniform proof of a recent result of Ambos-Spies, Ding, Wang, and Yu [2009] that every degree above any in $\overline{GL}_{2}$ is recursively enumerable in a 1-generic degree strictly below it. Our major new result is (...) that every array nonrecursive degree is r.e. in some degree strictly below it. Our analysis of array nonrecursiveness and construction of generic sequences below ANR degrees also reveal a new level of uniformity in these types of results. (shrink)

In this paper we prove that a degree a is array nonrecursive (ANR) if and only if every degree b ≥ a is r.e. in and strictly above another degree (RRE). This result will answer some questions in [ASDWY]. We also deduce an interesting corollary that every n-REA degree has a strong minimal cover if and only if it is array recursive.

We show that there is a generalized high degree which is a minimal cover of a minimal degree. This is the highest jump class one can reach by finite iterations of minimality. This result also answers an old question by Lerman.