Note on a problem of Paul Bernays

1955 ◽  
Vol 20 (02) ◽  
pp. 109-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bolesław Sobociński

In this Journal, vol. 18 (1953), p. 350 (Problem 7), Prof. P. Bernays proposed the following problem on propositional calculus: What is the smallest number n such that the propositional calculus, formulated with substitution and modus ponens as the only rules of inference, can be based on a set of initial formulas each of which contains at most n propositional letters (counted with multiplicity) ? In this note I give a solution to this problem, viz., that this number n = 5. For a system of propositional calculus in which the primitive functors are “C” (implication) and “N” (negation) and in which there are only two rules of inference, i.e. the rules of substitution and detachment (modus ponens), the following can be proved. (1) A set of propositional theses each of which contains at most 4 propositional letters is inadequate to give the complete bi-valued calculus of propositions. (2) There are axiom systems for this calculus in which each axiom contains at most 5 propositional letters. § 1. Consider the following normal metrix, in which the designated value is I: This satisfies the two rules of inference, and the following. (a) The law of commutation, i.e. the thesis CCpCqrCqCpr. (b) The following theses: Furthermore, in this matrix “N” is defined in such a way that: (c) For any well-formed formula α and any value m of this matrix, α = m if and only if NNα = m.

1974 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 661-664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alasdair Urquhart

In [1] Diego showed that there are only finitely many nonequivalent formulas in n variables in the positive implicational propositional calculus P. He also gave a recursive construction of the corresponding algebra of formulas, the free Hilbert algebra In on n free generators. In the present paper we give an alternative proof of the finiteness of In, and another construction of free Hilbert algebras, yielding a normal form for implicational formulas. The main new result is that In is built up from n copies of a finite Boolean algebra. The proofs use Kripke models [2] rather than the algebraic techniques of [1].Let V be a finite set of propositional variables, and let F(V) be the set of all formulas built up from V ⋃ {t} using → alone. The algebra defined on the equivalence classes , by settingis a free Hilbert algebra I(V) on the free generators . A set T ⊆ F(V) is a theory if ⊦pA implies A ∈ T, and T is closed under modus ponens. For T a theory, T[A] is the theory {B ∣ A → B ∈ T}. A theory T is p-prime, where p ∈ V, if p ∉ T and, for any A ∈ F(V), A ∈ T or A → p ∈ T. A theory is prime if it is p-prime for some p. Pp(V) denotes the set of p-prime theories in F(V), P(V) the set of prime theories. T ∈ P(V) is minimal if there is no theory in P(V) strictly contained in T. Where X = {A1, …, An} is a finite set of formulas, let X → B be A1 →····→·An → B (ϕ → B is B). A formula A is a p-formula if p is the right-most variable occurring in A, i.e. if A is of the form X → p.


1978 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Rose

It has been shown that, for all rational numbers r such that 0≤ r ≤ 1, the ℵ0-valued Łukasiewicz propositional calculus whose designated truth-values are those truth-values x such that r ≤ x ≤ 1 may be formalised completely by means of finitely many axiom schemes and primitive rules of procedure. We shall consider now the case where r is rational, 0≥r≤1 and the designated truth-values are those truth-values x such that r≤x≤1.We note that, in the subcase of the previous case where r = 1, a complete formalisation is given by the following four axiom schemes together with the rule of modus ponens (with respect to C),the functor A being defined in the usual way. The functors B, K, L will also be considered to be defined in the usual way. Let us consider now the functor Dαβ such that if P, Dαβ take the truth-values x, dαβ(x) respectively, α, β are relatively prime integers and r = α/β thenIt follows at once from a theorem of McNaughton that the functor Dαβ is definable in terms of C and N in an effective way. If r = 0 we make the definitionWe note first that if x ≤ α/β then dαβ(x)≤(β + 1)α/β − α = α/β. HenceLet us now define the functions dnαβ(x) (n = 0,1,…) bySinceit follows easily thatand thatThus, if x is designated, x − α/β > 0 and, if n > − log(x − α/β)/log(β + 1), then (β + 1)n(x−α/β) > 1.


1965 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. F. Bausch

The Stoic “indemonstrables” were inference rules; a rule about rules was the synthetic theorem: if from certain premisses a conclusion follows and from that conclusion and certain further premisses a second conclusion follows, then the second conclusion follows from all the premisses together. Similar things occur as medieval “rules of consequence”, although not usually on a metametalevel; and (with the same proviso) the following might be deemed a contemporary avatar of that Stoic theorem.If every formula which occurs once or more often in the list A1, A2, …, An, B1, B2, …, Bm occurs also at least once in the list C1, C2, …, Cr then:This rule [Church: Introduction to Mathematical Logic, 1956, pp. 94, 165], which may be called the rule of modus ponens under hypotheses (MPH), is worthy of attention for the following reasons:A. MPH and the axioms A ⊃ A yield precisely the positive implicative calculus (and very easily, too).B. MPH and the axioms A ⊃ f ⊃ f ⊃ A yield a new formulation of the full classical propositional calculus (in terms of f and ⊃).C. MPH and the axioms ∼A ⊃ A ⊃ A and A ⊃. ∼A ⊃ B yield the classical calculus in terms of ∼ and ⊃.


1972 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 711-715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krister Segerberg

Let ⊥, →, and □ be primitive, and let us have a countable supply of propositional letters. By a (modal) logic we understand a proper subset of the set of all formulas containing every tautology and being closed under modus ponens and substitution. A logic is regular if it contains every instance of □A ∧ □B ↔ □(A ∧ B) and is closed under the ruleA regular logic is normal if it contains □⊤. The smallest regular logic we denote by C (the same as Lemmon's C2), the smallest normal one by K. If L and L' are logics and L ⊆ L′, then L is a sublogic of L', and L' is an extension of L; properly so if L ≠ L'. A logic is quasi-regular (respectively, quasi-normal) if it is an extension of C (respectively, K).A logic is Post complete if it has no proper extension. The Post number, denoted by p(L), is the number of Post complete extensions of L. Thanks to Lindenbaum, we know thatThere is an obvious upper bound, too:Furthermore,.


1914 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 177-182
Author(s):  
James B. Ritchie

It has been shown in a former paper that an equation of the formcan be applied to give close representation of results in the determination of the law of decrease of torsional oscillations of wires of different materials, when the range of oscillation is large in comparison with the palpable limits of elasticity.


1897 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 342-359
Author(s):  
Thomas Muir

1. Cayley commences his third paper on Skew Determinants (May, 1854) by recalling his development of them in terms of Pfaffians, and then goes on to say:—“J'ai trouve recemment une formule analogue pour le developpement d'un déterminant gauche borde, tel queCette formule est:and he explains that the expressions 12, 1234, etc., are Pfaffians, whose law of formation is—12 = 12,1234 = 12·34 + 13·42 + 14·23,123456 = 12·34·56 + 13·45·62 + 14·56·23 + 15·62·34 + 16·23·45 + 12·35·64 + 13·46·25 +14·52·36 +15·63·42 + 16·24·53 + 12·36·45 + 13·42·56 + 14·53·62 + 15·64·23 + 16·25·34.No proof is given, and the law of formation of the development itself is not explained.


1957 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. J. Lemmon

The main aims of this paper are firstly to present new and simpler postulate sets for certain well-known systems of modal logic, and secondly, in the light of these results, to suggest some new or newly formulated calculi, capable of interpretation as systems of epistemic or deontic modalities. The symbolism throughout is that of [9] (see especially Part III, Chapter I). In what follows, by a Lewis modal system is meant a system which (i) contains the full classical propositional calculus, (ii) is contained in the Lewis system S5, (iii) admits of the substitutability of tautologous equivalents, (iv) possesses as theses the four formulae:We shall also say that a system Σ1 is stricter than a system Σ2, if both are Lewis modal systems and Σ1 is contained in Σ2 but Σ2 is not contained in Σ1; and we shall call Σ1absolutely strict, if it possesses an infinity of irreducible modalities. Thus, the five systems of Lewis in [5], S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5, are all Lewis modal systems by this definition; they are in an order of decreasing strictness from S1 to S5; and S1 and S2 alone are absolutely strict.


1970 ◽  
Vol 7 (02) ◽  
pp. 432-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
William E. Strawderman ◽  
Paul T. Holmes

Let X 1, X2, X 3 , ··· be independent, identically distributed random variables on a probability space (Ω, F, P); and with a continuous distribution function. Let the sequence of indices {Vr } be defined as Also define The following theorem is due to Renyi [5].


1966 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 399-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Storrs McCall ◽  
R. K. Meyer

The matrix defining Łukasiewicz's three-valued logic, constructed in 1920 and described at length in [1], is the following: This matrix was axiomatized in 1931 by Wajsberg (see [6]), who showed that the following axioms together with the rules of substitution and modus ponens were sufficient:


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