Dividing lines in unstable theories and subclasses of Baire 1 functions

Abstract

We give a new characterization of $SOP$ (the strict order property) in terms of the behaviour of formulas in any model of the theory as opposed to having to look at the behaviour of indiscernible sequences inside saturated ones. We refine a theorem of Shelah, namely a theory has $OP$ (the order property) if and only if it has $IP$ (the independence property) or $SOP$, in several ways by characterizing various notions in functional analytic style. We point out some connections between dividing lines in first order theories and subclasses of Baire 1 functions, and give new characterizations of some classes and new classes of first order theories.