[Math] nonstandard model of Peano’s arithmetic where any element has only finitely many prime divisors

logicmodel-theorypeano-axioms

By the compactness theorem, there are nonstandard models where don't have finite prime decomposition, and some elements are divisible by infinitely many distinct primes. But what if we want a nice nonstandard model where any element is divisible by only finitely distinct primes, is it possible? It seems hard to construct one, if it is possible. I don't know how to construct models of Peano's arithmetic where I don't want something to happen.

Of course, we cannot ask for finite prime decomposition, because in any nonstandard model there are nonstandard elements whose only prime divisor is $2$, and hence they are divisible by $2^n$ for any $n \in \mathbb{N}$.

If such a model exists, can we have one of any infinite cardinality?

Best Answer

There is no such model. The following is a theorem of Peano arithmetic:

For every number $n$, there is some number $n'$ that is divisible by all $k < n$.

Consider a non-standard model $\langle \mathfrak{M}, +, \cdot, 0, S\rangle$ of Peano arithmetic. Since $\mathfrak{M}$ is non-standard, it has some non-standard element $K$ so that $0 < K, 1 < K, 2 < K, \dots$ and so on, for each standard natural.

By the theorem of Peano arithmetic quoted above, there is another number $K'$ that is divisible by all $k < K$. In particular, $K'$ is divisible by $2$, divisible by $3$, divisible by $5$, and so on for all the standard primes.

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