Saturated models in institutions

the date of receipt and acceptance should be inserted later Keywords Saturated models · institutions · institution-independent model theory Abstract Saturated models constitute one of the powerful methods of conventional model theory, with many applications. Here we develop a categorical abstract model theoretic approach to saturated models within the theory of institutions. The most important consequence is that the method of saturated models becomes thus available to a multitude of logical systems from logic or from computing science. In this paper we define the concept of saturated model at an abstract institution-independent level and develop the fundamental existence and uniqueness theorems. As an application we prove a general institution-independent version of the Keisler-Shelah isomorphism theorem " any two elementarily equivalent models have isomorphic ultrapowers " (assuming Generalized Continuum Hypothesis).