A note on finitely generated models

Abstract

A model M (of a countable first order language) is said to be finitely generated if it is prime over a finite set, namely if there is a finite tuple ā in M such that (M, ā) is a prime model of its own theory. Similarly, if A ⊂ M, then M is said to be finitely generated overA if there is finite ā in M such that M is prime over A ⋃ ā. (Note that if Th(M) has Skolem functions, then M being prime over A is equivalent to M being generated by A in the usual sense, that is, M is the closure of A under functions of the language.) We show here that if N is ā model of an ω-stable theory, M ≺ N, M is finitely generated, and N is finitely generated over M, then N is finitely generated. A corollary is that any countable model of an ω-stable theory is the union of an elementary chain of finitely generated models. Note again that all this is trivial if the theory has Skolem functions.The result here strengthens the results in [3], where we show the same thing but assuming in addition that the theory is either nonmultidimensional or with finite αT. However the proof in [3] for the case αT finite actually shows the following which does not assume ω-stability): Let A be atomic over a finite set, tp(ā / A) have finite Cantor-Bendixson rank, and B be atomic over A ⋃ ā. Then B is atomic over a finite set.