Exact upper bounds and their uses in set theory

The existence of exact upper bounds for increasing sequences of ordinal functions modulo an ideal is discussed. The main theorem (Theorem 18 below) gives a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of an exact upper bound f for a <₁-increasing sequence f̄ = (fα: a < λ) ⊆ On^A where λ > \A\⁺ is regular: an eub f with lim inf₁ cf f(a) = μ-exists if and only if for every regular κ ∈(\A\, μ) the set of flat points in f̄ of cofinality κ is stationary. Two applications of the main Theorem to set theory are presented. A theorem of Magidor's on covering between models of ZFC is proved using the main theorem (Theorem 22): If V ⊆ W are transitive models of set theory with ω-covering and GCH holds in V, then κ-covering holds between V and W for all cardinals κ. A new proof of a Theorem by Cummings on collapsing successors of singulars is also given (Theorem 24). The appendix to the paper contains a short proof of Shelah's trichotomy theorem, for the reader's convenience.