Department of Mathematics

This talk continues the series of talks I began on September 19 and October 17. The September 19 abstract has a short list of references.

I will start with a very informal account of the concept of independence in stability theory, motivated by some simple examples from algebra.

Then I will tell you about how independence can be characterized in models of the theory of a saturated free algebra, with some handwaving about the proof; and also mention the best result that we have so far for general almost indiscernible theories.