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Source. E. Glazer, Erdős Problem 501 after adding ω2\omega_2 random reals, draft rev10, Section 3: the coding conventions, Definition 3.1 (profile certificate) and Theorem 3.2 (ZFC core), physical pp. 3--4, in the eight-page PDF held by its library source card, Glazer (2026). The two measure lemmas it uses are reconstructed in Lemma 2.1 and Lemma 2.2.

Standing. This is an author-recorded reconstruction. It is not an independent review and changes no status and assigns no tier. The instance of the coding space given under Definitions is a compilation fill: the source fixes "the standard coding" with the two stated Borel properties and does not spell one out.

Definitions

Families and free sets. Throughout, λ\lambda and λ∗\lambda^* are Lebesgue measure and Lebesgue outer measure on R\mathbb R. For a family A=(Ay)y∈R\mathcal A=(A_y)_{y\in\mathbb R} of subsets of R\mathbb R, Freeω(A)\mathrm{Free}_\omega(\mathcal A) asserts that there is an infinite X⊆RX\subseteq\mathbb R with x∉Ayx\notin A_y whenever x,y∈Xx,y\in X are distinct.

Open-set codes. Fix a standard Borel space O\mathcal O and a map c↦U(c)c\mapsto U(c) from O\mathcal O onto the open subsets of R\mathbb R such that the relation {(x,c):x∈U(c)}⊆R×O\{(x,c):x\in U(c)\}\subseteq\mathbb R\times\mathcal O is Borel and c↦λ(U(c))∈[0,∞]c\mapsto\lambda(U(c))\in[0,\infty] is Borel. One instance: O=2ω\mathcal O=2^{\omega}, a fixed enumeration (Jn)n<ω(J_n)_{n<\omega} of the open intervals with rational endpoints, and U(c)=⋃{Jn:c(n)=1}U(c)=\bigcup\{J_n:c(n)=1\}. Every open set is such a union; the relation x∈U(c)x\in U(c) is open in (x,c)(x,c); and λ(U(c))\lambda(U(c)) is the supremum over NN of λ(⋃n<N, c(n)=1Jn)\lambda\bigl(\bigcup_{n<N,\,c(n)=1}J_n\bigr), each term a continuous function of finitely many bits of cc, so the supremum is Borel. There is a code c∅c_\varnothing with U(c∅)=∅U(c_\varnothing)=\varnothing.

For m∈Zm\in\mathbb Z put Im=[m,m+1)I_m=[m,m+1); these intervals partition R\mathbb R.

Definition 3.1 (profile certificate). A profile certificate for A\mathcal A consists of (Ω,ν)(\Omega,\nu), a set Z⊆ΩZ\subseteq\Omega, and maps ⟨xm,cm:m∈Z⟩\langle x_m,c_m:m\in\mathbb Z\rangle such that:

  • (P1) (Ω,ν)(\Omega,\nu) is a standard Borel probability space and ν∗(Z)=1\nu^*(Z)=1, where ν∗(Z)=inf⁡{ν(B):B⊇Z Borel}\nu^*(Z)=\inf\{\nu(B):B\supseteq Z\text{ Borel}\};
  • (P2) each xm ⁣:Ω→Imx_m\colon\Omega\to I_m is Borel and has Lebesgue distribution on ImI_m: ν(xm−1(B))=λ(B∩Im)\nu(x_m^{-1}(B))=\lambda(B\cap I_m) for every Borel B⊆RB\subseteq\mathbb R;
  • (P3) each cm ⁣:Ω→Oc_m\colon\Omega\to\mathcal O is Borel and λ(U(cm(z)))<1\lambda(U(c_m(z)))<1 for every z∈Ωz\in\Omega;
  • (P4) Axm(z)⊆U(cm(z))A_{x_m(z)}\subseteq U(c_m(z)) for every z∈Zz\in Z and every m∈Zm\in\mathbb Z.

Prof(A)\mathrm{Prof}(\mathcal A) asserts that a profile certificate for A\mathcal A exists. The set ZZ need not be measurable.

Outer measure one. ν∗(Z)=1\nu^*(Z)=1 holds if and only if ZZ meets every Borel H⊆ΩH\subseteq\Omega with ν(H)>0\nu(H)>0. If ν∗(Z)=1\nu^*(Z)=1 and HH is a positive Borel set disjoint from ZZ, then Ω∖H\Omega\setminus H is a Borel superset of ZZ of measure below one, a contradiction. Conversely, if ZZ meets every positive Borel set and B⊇ZB\supseteq Z is Borel, then Ω∖B\Omega\setminus B is a Borel set disjoint from ZZ, hence null, so ν(B)=1\nu(B)=1. This meeting property is the only largeness property of ZZ used below; the other clauses of (P1), that (Ω,ν)(\Omega,\nu) is a standard Borel probability space, are used for the Borel structure of S2S^2 and the σ\sigma-finiteness of μ\mu.

Statement

For every family A=(Ay)y∈R\mathcal A=(A_y)_{y\in\mathbb R},

ZFC⊢Prof(A)⟶Freeω(A)\mathrm{ZFC}\vdash\mathrm{Prof}(\mathcal A)\longrightarrow \mathrm{Free}_\omega(\mathcal A)

(the source's (3.5)).

Proof

Fix a profile certificate. Put

S=Z×Ω,μ=counting measure×ν,S=\mathbb Z\times\Omega,\qquad\mu=\text{counting measure}\times\nu,

with Σ\Sigma the Borel σ\sigma-algebra of SS. Then SS is a standard Borel space, μ\mu is σ\sigma-finite (each {m}×Ω\{m\}\times\Omega has measure one) and μ(S)=∞\mu(S)=\infty. For t=(m,z)∈St=(m,z)\in S define

x(t)=xm(z),V(t)=U(cm(z))x(t)=x_m(z),\qquad V(t)=U(c_m(z))

(the source's (3.6)), and define E⊆S2E\subseteq S^2 by

(t,s)∈E  ⟺  x(t)∈V(s)(t,s)\in E\iff x(t)\in V(s)

(the source's (3.7)). The map (t,s)=((m,z),(n,w))↦(xm(z),cn(w))(t,s)=((m,z),(n,w))\mapsto(x_m(z),c_n(w)) is Borel from S2S^2 to R×O\mathbb R\times\mathcal O, and EE is the preimage under it of the Borel relation x∈U(c)x\in U(c), so EE is Borel in S2S^2; for a standard Borel SS the Borel sets of S2S^2 are exactly Σ⊗Σ\Sigma\otimes\Sigma. Likewise x ⁣:S→Rx\colon S\to\mathbb R is Borel.

Column bound. Let s=(n,w)s=(n,w). Then Es={t:x(t)∈V(s)}=⋃m{m}×xm−1(V(s))E^s=\{t:x(t)\in V(s)\}=\bigcup_m\{m\}\times x_m^{-1}(V(s)), so by (P2) applied to the open set V(s)V(s),

μ(Es)=∑m∈Zν{z:xm(z)∈V(s)}=∑m∈Zλ(V(s)∩Im)=λ(V(s))<1\mu(E^s)=\sum_{m\in\mathbb Z}\nu\{z:x_m(z)\in V(s)\} =\sum_{m\in\mathbb Z}\lambda(V(s)\cap I_m) =\lambda(V(s))<1

(the source's (3.8)); the middle equality is countable additivity over the partition (Im)(I_m), and the final inequality is (P3). So Lemma 2.1 and Lemma 2.2 apply with K=1K=1.

Null fibers. Let a∈Ra\in\mathbb R and let mam_a be the unique mm with a∈Ima\in I_m. Since xmx_m takes values in ImI_m, the fiber {t:x(t)=a}\{t:x(t)=a\} is {ma}×xma−1({a})\{m_a\}\times x_{m_a}^{-1}(\{a\}), and (P2) gives ν(xma−1({a}))=λ({a}∩Ima)=0\nu(x_{m_a}^{-1}(\{a\}))=\lambda(\{a\}\cap I_{m_a})=0. So every fiber of xx is μ\mu-null.

Recursion. We construct Borel sets Cj⊆SC_j\subseteq S of infinite measure and points tj=(mj,zj)∈Cjt_j=(m_j,z_j)\in C_j with zj∈Zz_j\in Z. Start with C0=SC_0=S. Given CjC_j, Lemma 2.1 says that Q(Cj)Q(C_j) is Borel with μ(Q(Cj))>0\mu(Q(C_j))>0. Since μ(Q(Cj))=∑mν{z:(m,z)∈Q(Cj)}\mu(Q(C_j))=\sum_m\nu\{z:(m,z)\in Q(C_j)\}, some mj∈Zm_j\in\mathbb Z makes the Borel section

Hj={z∈Ω:(mj,z)∈Q(Cj)}H_j=\{z\in\Omega:(m_j,z)\in Q(C_j)\}

(the source's (3.9)) of positive ν\nu-measure. By the meeting property of ν∗(Z)=1\nu^*(Z)=1, choose zj∈Z∩Hjz_j\in Z\cap H_j and put tj=(mj,zj)t_j=(m_j,z_j); then tj∈Q(Cj)⊆Cjt_j\in Q(C_j)\subseteq C_j. Define

Cj+1=Cj∖(Etj∪Etj∪{s:x(s)=x(tj)})C_{j+1}=C_j\setminus\bigl(E_{t_j}\cup E^{t_j}\cup\{s:x(s)=x(t_j)\}\bigr)

(the source's (3.10)). By Lemma 2.2, Cj+1C_{j+1} is Borel with infinite measure. The sets decrease: Cj+1⊆CjC_{j+1}\subseteq C_j.

Independence. Put yj=x(tj)y_j=x(t_j). Let i<ji<j. Then tj∈Cj⊆Ci+1t_j\in C_j\subseteq C_{i+1}, and Ci+1C_{i+1} omits three sets:

  • it omits {s:x(s)=x(ti)}\{s:x(s)=x(t_i)\}, so yj≠yiy_j\neq y_i;
  • it omits Eti={t:x(t)∈V(ti)}E^{t_i}=\{t:x(t)\in V(t_i)\}, so yj∉V(ti)y_j\notin V(t_i);
  • it omits Eti={s:x(ti)∈V(s)}E_{t_i}=\{s:x(t_i)\in V(s)\}, so yi∉V(tj)y_i\notin V(t_j).

Since zi,zj∈Zz_i,z_j\in Z, (P4) gives Ayi=Axmi(zi)⊆U(cmi(zi))=V(ti)A_{y_i}=A_{x_{m_i}(z_i)}\subseteq U(c_{m_i}(z_i))=V(t_i) and likewise Ayj⊆V(tj)A_{y_j}\subseteq V(t_j). Consequently yj∉Ayiy_j\notin A_{y_i} and yi∉Ayjy_i\notin A_{y_j}. The set {yj:j<ω}\{y_j:j<\omega\} is therefore infinite and independent, which is Freeω(A)\mathrm{Free}_\omega(\mathcal A).

Boundary. The relation x∈Ayx\in A_y is used only at the certified profiles zj∈Zz_j\in Z, through (P4); every measure-theoretic step concerns the Borel graph EE. The forcing module of Theorem 5.1 produces the certificate.