Positive Logic with Adjoint Modalities: Proof Theory, Semantics and Reasoning about Information

We consider a simple modal logic whose non-modal part has conjunction and disjunction as connectives and whose modalities come in adjoint pairs, but are not in general closure operators. Despite absence of negation and implication, and of axioms corresponding to the characteristic axioms of (e.g.) T, S4 and S5, such logics are useful, as shown in previous work by Baltag, Coecke and the first author, for encoding and reasoning about information and misinformation in multi-agent systems. For such a logic we present an algebraic semantics, using lattices with agent-indexed families of adjoint pairs of operators, and a cut-free sequent calculus. The calculus exploits operators on sequents, in the style of "nested" or "tree-sequent" calculi; cut-admissibility is shown by constructive syntactic methods. The applicability of the logic is illustrated by reasoning about the muddy children puzzle, for which the calculus is augmented with extra rules to express the facts of the muddy children scenario.Comment: This paper is the full version of the article that is to appear in the ENTCS proceedings of the 25th conference on the Mathematical Foundations of Programming Semantics (MFPS), April 2009, University of Oxfor

Syntactic Interpolation for Tense Logics and Bi-Intuitionistic Logic via Nested Sequents

We provide a direct method for proving Craig interpolation for a range of modal and intuitionistic logics, including those containing a "converse" modality. We demonstrate this method for classical tense logic, its extensions with path axioms, and for bi-intuitionistic logic. These logics do not have straightforward formalisations in the traditional Gentzen-style sequent calculus, but have all been shown to have cut-free nested sequent calculi. The proof of the interpolation theorem uses these calculi and is purely syntactic, without resorting to embeddings, semantic arguments, or interpreted connectives external to the underlying logical language. A novel feature of our proof includes an orthogonality condition for defining duality between interpolants

Tense distributive lattices: algebra, logic and topology

Tense logic was introduced by Arthur Prior in the late 1950s as a result of his interest in the relationship between tense and modality. Prior's idea was to add four primitive modal-like unary connectives to the base language today widely known as Prior's tense operators. Since then, Prior's operators have been considered in many contexts by different authors, in particular, in the context of algebraic logic. Here, we consider the category tdlat of bounded distributive lattices equipped with Prior's tense operators. We establish categorical dualities for tdlat in terms of certain categories of Kripke frames and Priestley spaces, respectively. As an application, we characterize the congruence lattice of any tense distributive lattice as well as the subdirectly irreducible members of this category. Finally, we define the logic that preserves degrees of truth with respect to tdlat-algebras and precise the relation between particular sub-classes of tdlat and know tense logics found in the literature

Proof search and counter-model construction for bi-intuitionistic propositional logic with labelled sequents

Bi-intuitionistic logic is a conservative extension of intuitionistic logic with a connective dual to implication, called exclusion. We present a sound and complete cut-free labelled sequent calculus for bi-intuitionistic propositional logic, BiInt, following S. Negri's general method for devising sequent calculi for normal modal logics. Although it arises as a natural formalization of the Kripke semantics, it is does not directly support proof search. To describe a proof search procedure, we develop a more algorithmic version that also allows for counter-model extraction from a failed proof attempt.Estonian Science Foundation - grants no. 5567; 6940Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)RESCUE - no. PTDC/EIA/65862/2006TYPES - FP6 ISTCentro de matemática da Universidade do Minh

A Hybrid Linear Logic for Constrained Transition Systems

Linear implication can represent state transitions, but real transition systems operate under temporal, stochastic or probabilistic constraints that are not directly representable in ordinary linear logic. We propose a general modal extension of intuitionistic linear logic where logical truth is indexed by constraints and hybrid connectives combine constraint reasoning with logical reasoning. The logic has a focused cut-free sequent calculus that can be used to internalize the rules of particular constrained transition systems; we illustrate this with an adequate encoding of the synchronous stochastic pi-calculus