A Semantic Framework for Proof Evidence

International audienceTheorem provers produce evidence of proof in many different formats, such as proof scripts, natural deductions, resolution refutations, Herbrand expansions, and equational rewritings. In implemented provers, numerous variants of such formats are actually used: consider, for example, such variants of or restrictions to resolution refu-tations as binary resolution, hyper-resolution, ordered-resolution, paramodulation, etc. We propose the foundational proof certificates (FPC) framework for defining the semantics of a broad range of proof evidence. This framework allows both producers of proof certificates and the checkers of those certificates to have a clear formal definition of the semantics of a wide variety of proof evidence. Employing the FPC framework will allow one to separate a proof from its provenance and to allow anyone to construct their own proof checker for a given style of proof evidence. The foundation on which FPC relies is that of proof theory, particularly recent work into focused proof systems: such proof systems provide protocols by which a checker extracts information from the certificate (mediated by the so called clerks and experts) as well as performs various deterministic and non-deterministic computations. While we shall limit ourselves to first-order logic in this paper, we shall not limit ourselves in many other ways. The FPC framework is described for both classical and intuitionistic logics and for proof structures as diverse as resolution refutations, natural deduction, Frege proofs, and equality proofs

Some remarks on semantics and expressiveness of the Sentential Calculus with Identity

Suszko's Sentential Calculus with Identity SCI results from classical propositional calculus CPC by adding a new connective $\equiv$ and axioms for identity $\varphi\equiv\psi$ (which we interpret here as `propositional identity'). We reformulate the original semantics of SCI in terms of Boolean prealgebras establishing a connection to `hyperintensional semantics'. Furthermore, we define a general framework of dualities between certain SCI-theories and Lewis-style modal systems in the vicinity of S3. Suszko's original approach to two SCI-theories corresponding to S4 and S5 can be formulated as a special case. All these dualities rely particularly on the fact that Lewis' `strict equivalence' is axiomatized by the SCI-principles of `propositional identity'.Comment: 31 page

Type-theoretic logic with an operational account of intensionality

We formulate a Curry-typed logic with fine-grained intensionality within Turner?s typed predicate logic. This allows for an elegant presentation of a theory that corresponds to Fox and Lappin?s property theory with curry typing, but without the need for a federation of languages. We then consider how the fine-grained intensionality of this theory can be given an operational interpretation. This interpretation suggests itself as expressions in the theory can be viewed as terms in the untyped lambda-calculus, which provides a model of computation