Submission date: 1 July 2012.

Abstract:

We establish several results regarding dividing and forking in NTP_2 theories. We show that dividing is the same as array-dividing. Combining it with existence of strictly invariant sequences we deduce that forking satisfies the chain condition over extension bases (namely, the forking ideal is S1, in Hrushovski's terminology). Using it we prove an independence theorem over extension bases (which, in the case of simple theories, specializes to the ordinary independence theorem). As an application we show that Lascar strong type and compact strong type coincide over extension bases in an NTP_2 theory. We also define the dividing order of a theory -- a generalization of Poizat's fundamental order from stable theories -- and give some equivalent characterizations under the assumption of NTP_2. The last section is devoted to a refinement of the class of strong theories and its place in the classification hierarchy.

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Full text arXiv 1207.0289: pdf, ps.