English

The Dual of Quantifier Elimination: Boolean Elimination over C and R

Logic 2025-12-24 v3 Logic in Computer Science

Abstract

We show that every finite Boolean combination of polynomial equalities and inequalities in C^n admits two uniform normal forms: an \exists\forall form and a \forall\exists form, each using a single polynomial equation. Both forms use only one existentially quantified variable and one universally quantified variable. Optimality results demonstrate that no purely existential or universal normal form is possible over C. These results extend to sets constructible from entire functions, and to quantifier-free formulas in functional languages over infinite fields of characteristic 0. A corollary shows Zilber's conjecture on quasiminimality equivalent to its subcase quantifying a single equation. Over R and Q, similar results hold, including a singly-quantified \exists form for Boolean combinations of equations and inequations, an \exists form for R established by prior methods, and other results for order inequalities parallel to the forms over C. These results provide a dual to classical quantifier elimination: instead of removing quantifiers at the cost of increased Boolean complexity, they remove Boolean structure at the cost of a short, fixed quantifier prefix. The constructions have linear degree bounds and are explicit.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2511.20743,
  title  = {The Dual of Quantifier Elimination: Boolean Elimination over C and R},
  author = {Matthew Frank},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2511.20743},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

Updated with reformulations in complex geometry and model theory, and corollary on Zilber's quasiminimality conjecture