The finite representation property for composition, intersection, domain and range

We prove that the nite representation property holds for rep- resentation by partial functions for the signature consisting of composition, intersection, domain and range and for any expansion of this signature by the antidomain, xset, preferential union, maximum iterate and opposite opera- tions. The proof shows that, for all these signatures, the size of base required is bounded by a double-exponential function of the size of the algebra. This establishes that representability of nite algebras is decidable for all these signatures. We also give an example of a signature for which the nite repre- sentation property fails to hold for representation by partial functions

Report on BCTCS 2016: The 32nd British Colloquium for Theoretical Computer Science 22–24 March 2016, Queen’s University Belfast

Report on BCTCS 2016: The 32nd British Colloquium for Theoretical Computer Science 22–24 March 2016, Queen’s University Belfas

Disjoint-union partial algebras

Disjoint union is a partial binary operation returning the union of two sets if they are disjoint and undefined otherwise. A disjoint-union partial algebra of sets is a collection of sets closed under disjoint unions, whenever they are defined. We provide a recursive first-order axiomatisation of the class of partial algebras isomorphic to a disjoint-union partial algebra of sets but prove that no finite axiomatisation exists. We do the same for other signatures including one or both of disjoint union and subset complement, another partial binary operation we define. Domain-disjoint union is a partial binary operation on partial functions, returning the union if the arguments have disjoint domains and undefined otherwise. For each signature including one or both of domain-disjoint union and subset complement and optionally including composition, we consider the class of partial algebras isomorphic to a collection of partial functions closed under the operations. Again the classes prove to be axiomatisable, but not finitely axiomatisable, in first-order logic. We define the notion of pairwise combinability. For each of the previously considered signatures, we examine the class isomorphic to a partial algebra of sets/partial functions under an isomorphism mapping arbitrary suprema of pairwise combinable sets to the corresponding disjoint unions. We prove that for each case the class is not closed under elementary equivalence. However, when intersection is added to any of the signatures considered, the isomorphism class of the partial algebras of sets is finitely axiomatisable and in each case we give such an axiomatisation.Comment: 30 page

Algebras of partial functions

This thesis collects together four sets of results, produced by investigating modifications, in four distinct directions, of the following. Some set-theoretic operations on partial functions are chosen—composition and intersection are examples—and the class of algebras isomorphic to a collection of partial functions, equipped with those operations, is studied. Typical questions asked are whether the class is axiomatisable, or indeed finitely axiomatisable, in any fragment of first-order logic, what computational complexity classes its equational/quasiequational/first-order theories lie in, and whether it is decidable if a finite algebra is in the class. The first modification to the basic picture asks that the isomorphisms turn any existing suprema into unions and/or infima into intersections, and examines the class so obtained. For composition, intersection, and antidomain together, we show that the suprema and infima conditions are equivalent. We show the resulting class is axiomatisable by a universal-existential-universal sentence, but not axiomatisable by any existential-universal-existential theory. The second contribution concerns what happens when we demand partial functions on some finite base set. The finite representation property is essentially the assertion that this restriction that the base set be finite does not restrict the algebras themselves. For composition, intersection, domain, and range, plus many supersignatures, we prove the finite representation property. It follows that it is decidable whether a finite algebra is a member of the relevant class. The third set of results generalises from unary to ‘multiplace’ functions. For the signatures investigated, finite equational or quasiequational axiomatisations are obtained; similarly when the functions are constrained to be injective. The finite representation property follows. The equational theories are shown to be coNP-complete. In the last section we consider operations that may only be partial. For most signatures the relevant class is found to be recursively, but not finitely, axiomatisable. For others, finite axiomatisations are provided