We develop positive model theory, which is a non first order analogue of classical model theory where compactness is kept at the expense of negation. The analogue of a first order theory in this framework is a compact abstract theory: several equivalent yet conceptually different presentations of this notion are given. We prove in particular that Banach and Hilbert spaces are compact abstract theories, and in fact very well-behaved as such.

We continue [2], developing simplicity in the framework of compact abstract theories. Due to the generality of the context we need to introduce definitions which differ somewhat from the ones use in first order theories. With these modified tools we obtain more or less classical behaviour: simplicity is characterized by the existence of a certain notion of independence, stability is characterized by simplicity and bounded multiplicity, and hyperimaginary canonical bases exist.

We introduce the notion of a lovely pair of models of a simple theory T, generalizing Poizat's “belles paires” of models of a stable theory and the third author's “generic pairs” of models of an SU-rank 1 theory. We characterize when a saturated model of the theory TP of lovely pairs is a lovely pair , finding an analog of the nonfinite cover property for simple theories. We show that, under these hypotheses, TP is also simple, and we study forking (...) and canonical bases in TP. We also prove that assuming only that T is low, the existentially universal models of the universal part of a natural expansion TP+ of TP, are lovely pairs, and “simple Robinson universal domains”. (shrink)

We prove that under reasonable assumptions, every cat (compact abstract theory) is metric, and develop some of the theory of metric cats. We generalise Morley's theorem: if a countable Hausdorff cat T has a unique complete model of density character Λ ≥ ω₁, then it has a unique complete model of density character Λ for every Λ ≥ ω₁.

This paper completes the proof of the group configuration theorem for simple theories started in [1]. We introduce the notion of an almost hyperdefinable structure, and show that it has a reasonable model theory. We then construct an almost hyperdefinable group from a polygroup chunk.

We study in detail the blow-up procedure described in [BTW01]. We obtain a structure theorem for coreless polygroups as a double quotient space G//H, and a polygroup chunk theorem. Seeking to remove the arbitrary parameter needed for the blow-up, we find canonical Ø-invariant groupoids.

In recent work, the authors have established the group configuration theorem for simple theories, as well as some of its main applications from geometric stability theory, such as the binding group theorem, or in the $\omega$-categorical case, the characterization of the forking geometry of a finitely based non-trivial locally modular regular type as projective geometry over a finite field and the equivalence of pseudolinearity and local modularity. The proof necessitated an extension of the model-theoretic framework to include almost hyperimaginaries, and (...) the study of polygroups. (shrink)

This communication deals with positive model theory, a non first order model theoretic setting which preserves compactness at the cost of giving up negation. Positive model theory deals transparently with hyperimaginaries, and accommodates various analytic structures which defy direct first order treatment. We describe the development of simplicity theory in this setting, and an application to the lovely pairs of models of simple theories without the weak non finite cover property.

We prove that for every simple theory T there is a compact abstract theory T.

Dividing independence for ultraimaginaries is neither symmetric nor transitive. Moreover, any notion of independence satisfying certain axioms (weaker than those for independence in a simple theory) and defined for all ultraimaginary sorts, is necessarily trivial.

We develop the theory of germs of generic functions in simple theories. Starting with an algebraic quadrangle (or other similar hypotheses), we obtain an "almost" generic group chunk, where the product is denned up to a bounded number of possible values. This is the first step towards the proof of the group configuration theorem for simple theories, which is completed in [3].

We characterise imaginaries (up to interdefinability) in Hilbert spaces using a Galois theory for compact unitary groups.

1. We show that if p is a real type which is internal in a set $\sigma$ of partial types in a simple theory, then there is a type p' interbounded with p, which is finitely generated over $\sigma$ , and possesses a fundamental system of solutions relative to $\sigma$ . 2. If p is a possibly hyperimaginary Lascar strong type, almost \sigma-internal$ , but almost orthogonal to $\sigma^{\omega}$ , then there is a canonical non-trivial almost hyperdefinable polygroup which multi-acts (...) on p while fixing $\sigma$ generically. In case p is $\sigma-internal$ and T is stable, this is the binding group of p over \sigma$. (shrink)

We prove that the definition of supersimplicity in metric structures from [7] is equivalent to an a priori stronger variant. This stronger variant is then used to prove that if T is a supersimple Hausdorff cat then so is its theory of lovely pairs.