Related papers: Variations on a Visserian Theme
We show that for any $i > 0$, it is decidable, given a regular language, whether it is expressible in the $\Sigma_i[<]$ fragment of first-order logic FO[<]. This settles a question open since 1971. Our main technical result relies on the…
We show that for quasivarieties of p-algebras the properties of (i) having decidable first-order theory and (ii) having decidable first-order theory of the finite members, coincide. The only two quasivarieties with these properties are the…
The complexity class $NP$ can be logically characterized both through existential second order logic $SO\exists$, as proven by Fagin, and through simulating a Turing machine via the satisfiability problem of propositional logic SAT, as…
The standard interpretation of first-order number theory (PA), according to the generally accepted view, associates well-defined set-theoretic entities with each and every well-formed formula of this system. But this implies that the class…
According to the math tea argument, there must be real numbers that we cannot describe or define, because there are uncountably many real numbers, but only countably many definitions. And yet, the existence of pointwise-definable models of…
In Team Semantics, a dependency notion is strongly first order if every sentence of the logic obtained by adding the corresponding atoms to First Order Logic is equivalent to some first order sentence. In this work it is shown that all…
We show that the decidability of the first-order theory of the language that combines Boolean algebras of sets of uninterpreted elements with Presburger arithmetic operations. We thereby disprove a recent conjecture that this theory is…
Classical theory proves that every primitive recursive function is strongly representable in PA; that formal Peano Arithmetic, PA, and formal primitive recursive arithmetic, PRA, can both be interpreted in Zermelo-Fraenkel Set Theory, ZF;…
Recently, in Axioms 10(2): 119 (2021), a nonclassical first-order theory T of sets and functions has been introduced as the collection of axioms we have to accept if we want a foundational theory for (all of) mathematics that is not weaker…
We establish a bijection between torsion pairs in the category of finite-dimensional modules over a finite-dimensional algebra A and pairs (Z, I) formed by a closed rigid set Z in the Ziegler spectrum of A and a set I of indecomposable…
This paper aims to provide an analysis of what it means when we say that a pair of theories, very generously construed, are equivalent in the sense that they are interdefinable. With regard to theories articulated in first order logic, we…
We study the complexity of reasoning in abstracts argumentation frameworks close to graph classes that allow for efficient reasoning methods, i.e.\ to one of the classes of acyclic, noeven, biparite and symmetric AFs. In this work we show…
We show that descriptive complexity's result extends in High Order Logic to capture the expressivity of Turing Machine which have a finite number of alternation and whose time or space is bounded by a finite tower of exponential. Hence we…
For which (first-order complete, usually countable) $T$ do there exist non-isomorphic models of $T$ which become isomorphic after forcing with a forcing notion $\mathbb{P}$? Necessarily, $\mathbb{P}$ is non-trivial; i.e.~it adds some new…
Otto's Theorem characterises the bisimulation-invariant PTIME queries over graphs as exactly those that can be formulated in the polyadic mu-calculus, hinging on the Immerman-Vardi Theorem which characterises PTIME (over ordered structures)…
We consider extensions of the language of Peano arithmetic by transfinitely iterated truth definitions satisfying uniform Tarskian biconditionals. Without further axioms, such theories are known to be conservative extensions of the original…
Throughout, $T$ denotes a complete first-order theory in a countable language $L$ that has infinite models and $I(\aleph_0,T)$ denotes the number of countable models of $T$, up to an isomorphism. To determine $I(\aleph_0,T)$, it suffices to…
It is well known that in Zermelo-Fraenkel (ZF) set theory any finite set is decidable. In this paper we discuss an extension of ZF where this result is no longer valid. Such an extension is quasi-set theory and it has its origin on problems…
We try to understand complete types over a somewhat saturated model of a complete first order theory which is dependent (previously called NIP), by "decomposition theorems for such types". Our thesis is that the picture of dependent theory…
A folk theorem says higher order arithmetic has the proof theoretic strength of set theory with limited power set. This paper makes the theorem precise in terms of several axiom system based on ZF.