Related papers: Axiomatizing provable $n$-provability
Automated theorem provers (ATPs) can disprove conjectures by saturating a set of clauses, but the resulting saturated sets are opaque certificates. In the unit equational fragment, a saturated set can in fact be read as a convergent rewrite…
While there has been progress in establishing the unprovability of complexity statements in lower fragments of bounded arithmetic, understanding the limits of Je\v{r}\'abek's theory $APC_1$ (2007) and of higher levels of Buss's hierarchy…
Let $X_1,X_2,...$ be a discrete-time stochastic process with a distribution $P_\theta$, $\theta\in\Theta$, where $\Theta$ is an open subset of the real line. We consider the problem of testing a simple hypothesis $H_0:$ $\theta=\theta_0$…
It is known that any rational abstract numeration system is faithfully, and effectively, represented by an N-rational series. A simple proof of this result is given which yields a representation of this series which in turn allows a simple…
Let \phi be a first order formula and M be a countable model. \phi^M denotes the set of all assignments that satisfy \phi in M. Let M, N be countable models. A formula \phi distinguishes these models if |\phi^M|\neq |\phi^N|. We show that…
We investigate the decidability of the monadic second-order (MSO) theory of the structure $\langle \mathbb{N};<,P_1, \ldots,P_d \rangle$, for various unary predicates $P_1,\ldots,P_d \subseteq \mathbb{N}$. We focus in particular on…
Harvey Friedman shows that, over Peano Arithmetic, the consistency statement for a finitely axiomatised theory $A$ can be characterised as the weakest statement $C$ over Peano Arithmetic such that ${\sf PA}+C$ interprets $A$. We study which…
One of the elegant achievements in the history of proof theory is the characterization of the provably total recursive functions of an arithmetical theory by its proof-theoretic ordinal as a way to measure the time complexity of the…
For a commutative ring $R$, a polynomial $f\in R[x]$ is called separable if $R[x]/f$ is a separable $R$-algebra. We derive formulae for the number of separable polynomials when $R = \mathbb{Z}/n$, extending a result of L. Carlitz. For…
In previous papers on this project a general static logical framework for formalizing and mechanizing set theories of different strength was suggested, and the power of some predicatively acceptable theories in that framework was explored.…
I shall argue that a resolution of the PvNP problem requires building an iff bridge between the domain of provability and that of computability. The former concerns how a human intelligence decides the truth of number-theoretic relations,…
We introduce a model-complete theory which completely axiomatizes the structure $Z_{\alpha}=(Z, +, 0, 1, f)$ where $f : x \to \lfloor{\alpha} x \rfloor $ is a unary function with $\alpha$ a fixed transcendental number. When $\alpha$ is…
The P versus NP problem is addressed in a context of provability and limitations on the possibility of finding sound axioms for formal theories. It is shown that if the term "constructible theory" is defined in a way which satisfies certain…
A subclass of nondeterministic Finite Automata generated by means of regular Grammars (GFAs, for short) is introduced. A process algebra is proposed, whose semantics maps a term to a GFA. We prove a representability theorem: for each GFA…
We analyze the informal semantic conception of proof and axiomatize the proof relation and the provability operator. A self referential propositional calculus which admits provable liar type sentences is introduced and proven consistent. We…
Axiomatizing mathematical structures and theories is an objective of Mathematical Logic. Some axiomatic systems are nowadays mere definitions, such as the axioms of Group Theory; but some systems are much deeper, such as the axioms of…
We propound the thesis that there is a limitation to the number of possible structures which are axiomatically endowed with identities involving operations. In the case of algebras with a binary operation satisfying a formally reducible (to…
The proof of the relative consistency of the axiom of choice has been mechanized using Isabelle/ZF. The proof builds upon a previous mechanization of the reflection theorem. The heavy reliance on metatheory in the original proof makes the…
In this article, we prove two new versions of a theorem proven by Efron in [Efr65]. Efron's theorem says that if a function $\phi : \mathbb{R}^2 \rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ is non-decreasing in each argument then we have that the function $s…
In \cite{Ca2016} and \cite{Ca2018}, we introduced a notion of effective reducibility between set-theoretical $\Pi_{2}$-statements; in \cite{Ca2025}, this was extended to statements of arbitrary (potentially even infinite) quantifier…