English

A Note on Always Decidable Propositional Forms

Logic 2015-02-10 v1

Abstract

We ask the following question: If all instantiations of a propositional formula A(x1,...,xn)A(x_1,...,x_n) in nn propositional variables are decidable in some sufficiently strong recursive theory, does it follow that AA is tautological or contradictory? and answer it in the affirmative. We also consider the following related question: Suppose that for some propositional formula A(x1,...,xn)A(x_1,...,x_n), there is a Turing program PP such that P([ϕ1],...,[ϕn])=1P([\phi_{1}],...,[\phi_{n}])\downarrow=1 iff NA(ϕ1,...,ϕn)\mathbb{N}\models A(\phi_{1},...,\phi_{n}) and otherwise P([ϕ1],...,[ϕn])=0P([\phi_{1}],...,[\phi_{n}])\downarrow=0 (where [ϕ][\phi] denotes the G\"odel number of ϕ\phi), does it follow that the truth value of A(ϕ1,...,ϕn)A(\phi_{1},...,\phi_{n}) is independent of ϕ1,...,ϕn\phi_1,...,\phi_{n} and hence that AA is tautological or contradictory?

Cite

@article{arxiv.1502.02545,
  title  = {A Note on Always Decidable Propositional Forms},
  author = {Merlin Carl},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1502.02545},
  year   = {2015}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-22T08:25:36.311Z