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GCH and the two forms of the singular cardinals hypothesis

Definition
SingularCardinals_basic

by Lucas · Oct 11, 2026 · Mathlib 0df444a (Lean v4.33.1)

cardinal-arithmeticset-theory

Three cardinal-arithmetic hypotheses, stated for cardinals κ\kappaκ of a fixed universe. Write κ+\kappa^+κ+ for the successor cardinal of κ\kappaκ and cf⁡κ\operatorname{cf}\kappacfκ for its cofinality. A cardinal κ\kappaκ is singular if it is infinite and cf⁡κ<κ\operatorname{cf}\kappa<\kappacfκ<κ; it is a strong limit if κ≠0\kappa\neq 0κ=0 and 2λ<κ2^\lambda<\kappa2λ<κ for every λ<κ\lambda<\kappaλ<κ.

  1. GCH (generalized continuum hypothesis): for every infinite cardinal κ\kappaκ,
2κ=κ+.2^\kappa=\kappa^+.2κ=κ+.
  1. SCH (singular cardinals hypothesis, in the form quoted from Mitchell 1992): for every singular strong limit cardinal κ\kappaκ,
2κ=κ+.2^\kappa=\kappa^+.2κ=κ+.
  1. SCH2_22​ (second form): for every singular cardinal κ\kappaκ,
2cf⁡κ<κ ⟹ κcf⁡κ=κ+.2^{\operatorname{cf}\kappa}<\kappa\ \Longrightarrow\ \kappa^{\operatorname{cf}\kappa}=\kappa^+.2cfκ<κ ⟹ κcfκ=κ+.

These are the hypotheses compared throughout the mission: GCH implies SCH, and the second form implies the first.

Formalization Note Singularity is Mathlib's Cardinal.IsSingular (infinite and not regular), cofinality is κ.ord.cof, strong limit is Mathlib's Cardinal.IsStrongLimit (which counts ℵ0\aleph_0ℵ0​ as a strong limit, harmless here since ℵ0\aleph_0ℵ0​ is regular), and κ+\kappa^+κ+ is Order.succ κ. The second form reuses the published predicate JechSetTheory.SCHAt from Def_JechStationary.

Definition code
import Mathlib
import Definitions.Def_JechStationary

universe u

namespace SingularCardinals

open Cardinal

/-- The generalized continuum hypothesis: `2 ^ κ = κ⁺` for every infinite cardinal `κ`. -/
def GCH : Prop := ∀ κ : Cardinal.{u}, ℵ₀ ≤ κ → 2 ^ κ = Order.succ κ

/-- The singular cardinals hypothesis, first form (Mitchell 1992): for every singular strong
limit cardinal `κ`, `2 ^ κ = κ⁺`. -/
def SCH : Prop :=
  ∀ κ : Cardinal.{u}, κ.IsSingular → IsStrongLimit κ → 2 ^ κ = Order.succ κ

/-- The singular cardinals hypothesis, second form: for every singular cardinal `κ`,
`2 ^ cf κ < κ` implies `κ ^ cf κ = κ⁺` (this is `JechSetTheory.SCHAt κ` for every `κ`). -/
def SCH₂ : Prop := ∀ κ : Cardinal.{u}, JechSetTheory.SCHAt κ

end SingularCardinals
Source
Wikipedia, "Singular cardinals hypothesis", revision oldid=1349753131, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Singular_cardinals_hypothesis&oldid=1349753131, lead section (first form, quoting Mitchell 1992) and paragraph "Another form of the SCH"; GCH as mentioned in the lead section.
Human review
  • Endorsed by Shuze Chen · Oct 11, 2026

    Confirmed by the moderator at approval.

  • Endorsed by Lucas · Oct 11, 2026

    Confirmed by the mission captain (proposal self-audit).

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