English

Modal logic, fundamentally

Logic 2024-06-25 v3 Logic in Computer Science

Abstract

Non-classical generalizations of classical modal logic have been developed in the contexts of constructive mathematics and natural language semantics. In this paper, we discuss a general approach to the semantics of non-classical modal logics via algebraic representation theorems. We begin with complete lattices LL equipped with an antitone operation ¬\neg sending 11 to 00, a completely multiplicative operation \Box, and a completely additive operation \Diamond. Such lattice expansions can be represented by means of a set XX together with binary relations \vartriangleleft, RR, and QQ, satisfying some first-order conditions, used to represent (L,¬)(L,\neg), \Box, and \Diamond, respectively. Indeed, any lattice LL equipped with such a ¬\neg, a multiplicative \Box, and an additive \Diamond embeds into the lattice of propositions of a frame (X,,R,Q)(X,\vartriangleleft,R,Q). Building on our recent study of "fundamental logic", we focus on the case where ¬\neg is dually self-adjoint (a¬ba\leq \neg b implies b¬ab\leq\neg a) and ¬a¬a\Diamond \neg a\leq\neg\Box a. In this case, the representations can be constrained so that R=QR=Q, i.e., we need only add a single relation to (X,)(X,\vartriangleleft) to represent both \Box and \Diamond. Using these results, we prove that a system of fundamental modal logic is sound and complete with respect to an elementary class of bi-relational structures (X,,R)(X,\vartriangleleft, R).

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2403.14043,
  title  = {Modal logic, fundamentally},
  author = {Wesley H. Holliday},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2403.14043},
  year   = {2024}
}

Comments

Forthcoming in Advances in Modal Logic, Vol. 15

R2 v1 2026-06-28T15:28:06.309Z