6,741 research outputs found
A Finite-Model-Theoretic View on Propositional Proof Complexity
We establish new, and surprisingly tight, connections between propositional
proof complexity and finite model theory. Specifically, we show that the power
of several propositional proof systems, such as Horn resolution, bounded-width
resolution, and the polynomial calculus of bounded degree, can be characterised
in a precise sense by variants of fixed-point logics that are of fundamental
importance in descriptive complexity theory. Our main results are that Horn
resolution has the same expressive power as least fixed-point logic, that
bounded-width resolution captures existential least fixed-point logic, and that
the polynomial calculus with bounded degree over the rationals solves precisely
the problems definable in fixed-point logic with counting. By exploring these
connections further, we establish finite-model-theoretic tools for proving
lower bounds for the polynomial calculus over the rationals and over finite
fields
The modal logic of set-theoretic potentialism and the potentialist maximality principles
We analyze the precise modal commitments of several natural varieties of
set-theoretic potentialism, using tools we develop for a general
model-theoretic account of potentialism, building on those of Hamkins, Leibman
and L\"owe, including the use of buttons, switches, dials and ratchets. Among
the potentialist conceptions we consider are: rank potentialism (true in all
larger ); Grothendieck-Zermelo potentialism (true in all larger
for inaccessible cardinals ); transitive-set potentialism
(true in all larger transitive sets); forcing potentialism (true in all forcing
extensions); countable-transitive-model potentialism (true in all larger
countable transitive models of ZFC); countable-model potentialism (true in all
larger countable models of ZFC); and others. In each case, we identify lower
bounds for the modal validities, which are generally either S4.2 or S4.3, and
an upper bound of S5, proving in each case that these bounds are optimal. The
validity of S5 in a world is a potentialist maximality principle, an
interesting set-theoretic principle of its own. The results can be viewed as
providing an analysis of the modal commitments of the various set-theoretic
multiverse conceptions corresponding to each potentialist account.Comment: 36 pages. Commentary can be made about this article at
http://jdh.hamkins.org/set-theoretic-potentialism. Minor revisions in v2;
further minor revisions in v
The modal logic of arithmetic potentialism and the universal algorithm
I investigate the modal commitments of various conceptions of the philosophy
of arithmetic potentialism. Specifically, I consider the natural potentialist
systems arising from the models of arithmetic under their natural extension
concepts, such as end-extensions, arbitrary extensions, conservative extensions
and more. In these potentialist systems, I show, the propositional modal
assertions that are valid with respect to all arithmetic assertions with
parameters are exactly the assertions of S4. With respect to sentences,
however, the validities of a model lie between S4 and S5, and these bounds are
sharp in that there are models realizing both endpoints. For a model of
arithmetic to validate S5 is precisely to fulfill the arithmetic maximality
principle, which asserts that every possibly necessary statement is already
true, and these models are equivalently characterized as those satisfying a
maximal theory. The main S4 analysis makes fundamental use of the
universal algorithm, of which this article provides a simplified,
self-contained account. The paper concludes with a discussion of how the
philosophical differences of several fundamentally different potentialist
attitudes---linear inevitability, convergent potentialism and radical branching
possibility---are expressed by their corresponding potentialist modal
validities.Comment: 38 pages. Inquiries and commentary can be made at
http://jdh.hamkins.org/arithmetic-potentialism-and-the-universal-algorithm.
Version v3 has further minor revisions, including additional reference
The prospects for mathematical logic in the twenty-first century
The four authors present their speculations about the future developments of
mathematical logic in the twenty-first century. The areas of recursion theory,
proof theory and logic for computer science, model theory, and set theory are
discussed independently.Comment: Association for Symbolic Logi
PSPACE Bounds for Rank-1 Modal Logics
For lack of general algorithmic methods that apply to wide classes of logics,
establishing a complexity bound for a given modal logic is often a laborious
task. The present work is a step towards a general theory of the complexity of
modal logics. Our main result is that all rank-1 logics enjoy a shallow model
property and thus are, under mild assumptions on the format of their
axiomatisation, in PSPACE. This leads to a unified derivation of tight
PSPACE-bounds for a number of logics including K, KD, coalition logic, graded
modal logic, majority logic, and probabilistic modal logic. Our generic
algorithm moreover finds tableau proofs that witness pleasant proof-theoretic
properties including a weak subformula property. This generality is made
possible by a coalgebraic semantics, which conveniently abstracts from the
details of a given model class and thus allows covering a broad range of logics
in a uniform way
Model-theoretic characterization of intuitionistic propositional formulas
Notions of k-asimulation and asimulation are introduced as asymmetric
counterparts to k-bisimulation and bisimulation, respectively. It is proved
that a first-order formula is equivalent to a standard translation of an
intuitionistic propositional formula iff it is invariant with respect to
k-asimulations for some k, and then that a first-order formula is equivalent to
a standard translation of an intuitionistic propositional formula iff it is
invariant with respect to asimulations. Finally, it is proved that a
first-order formula is intuitionistically equivalent to a standard translation
of an intuitionistic propositional formula iff it is invariant with respect to
asimulations between intuitionistic models.Comment: 16 pages, 0 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with
arXiv:1202.119
Logic in the Tractatus
I present a reconstruction of the logical system of the Tractatus, which differs from classical logic in two ways. It includes an account of Wittgenstein’s “form-series” device, which suffices to express some effectively generated countably infinite disjunctions. And its attendant notion of structure is relativized to the fixed underlying universe of what is named.
There follow three results. First, the class of concepts definable in the system is closed under finitary induction. Second, if the universe of objects is countably infinite, then the property of being a tautology is \Pi^1_1-complete. But third, it is only granted the assumption of countability that the class of tautologies is \Sigma_1-definable in set theory.
Wittgenstein famously urges that logical relationships must show themselves in the structure of signs. He also urges that the size of the universe cannot be prejudged. The results of this paper indicate that there is no single way in which logical relationships could be held to make themselves manifest in signs, which does not prejudge the number of objects
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