English

Self-reference Upfront: A Study of Self-referential G\"odel Numberings

Logic 2020-08-13 v2

Abstract

In this paper we examine various requirements on the formalisation choices under which self-reference can be adequately formalised in arithmetic. In particular, we study self-referential numberings, which immediately provide a strong notion of self-reference even for expressively weak languages. The results of this paper suggest that the question whether truly self-referential reasoning can be formalised in arithmetic is more sensitive to the underlying coding apparatus than usually believed. As a case study, we show how this sensitivity affects the formal study of certain principles of self-referential truth.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2006.12178,
  title  = {Self-reference Upfront: A Study of Self-referential G\"odel Numberings},
  author = {Balthasar Grabmayr and Albert Visser},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2006.12178},
  year   = {2020}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-23T16:30:59.587Z