An Improved Set-based Reasoner for the Description Logic 𝒟ℒD4,׆

We present a KE-tableau-based implementation of a reasoner for a decidable fragment of (stratified) set theory expressing the description logic 𝒟ℒ〈4LQSR,×〉(D) (𝒟ℒD4,×, for short). Our application solves the main TBox and ABox reasoning problems for 𝒟ℒD4,×. In particular, it solves the consistency and the classification problems for 𝒟ℒD4,×-knowledge bases represented in set-theoretic terms, and a generalization of the Conjunctive Query Answering problem in which conjunctive queries with variables of three sorts are admitted. The reasoner, which extends and improves a previous version, is implemented in C++. It supports 𝒟ℒD4,×-knowledge bases serialized in the OWL/XML format and it admits also rules expressed in SWRL (Semantic Web Rule Language).

On the zero set of G-equivariant maps

Let G be a finite group acting on vector spaces V and W and consider a smooth G-equivariant mapping f: V → W. This paper addresses the question of the zero set of f near a zero x with isotropy subgroup G. It is known from results of Bierstone and Field on G-transversality theory that the zero set in a neighbourhood of x is a stratified set. The purpose of this paper is to partially determine the structure of the stratified set near x using only information from the representations V and W. We define an index s(Σ) for isotropy subgroups Σ of G which is the difference of the dimension of the fixed point subspace of Σ in V and W. Our main result states that if V contains a subspace G-isomorphic to W, then for every maximal isotropy subgroup Σ satisfying s(Σ) > s(G), the zero set of f near x contains a smooth manifold of zeros with isotropy subgroup Σ of dimension s(Σ). We also present partial results in the case of group representations V and W which do not satisfy the conditions of our main theorem. The paper contains many examples and raises several questions concerning the computation of zero sets of equivariant maps. These results have application to the bifurcation theory of G-reversible equivariant vector fields.

Normal subgroups of infinite symmetric groups, with an application to stratified set theory

It is generally known that infinite symmetric groups have few nontrivial normal subgroups (typically only the subgroups of bounded support) and none of small index. (We will explain later exactly what we mean by small). However the standard analysis relies heavily on the axiom of choice. By dint of a lot of combinatorics we have been able to dispense—largely—with the axiom of choice. Largely, but not entirely: our result is that if X is an infinite set with ∣X∣ = ∣X × X∣ then Symm(X) has no nontrivial normal subgroups of small index. Some condition like this is needed because of the work of Sam Tarzi who showed [4] that, for any finite group G, there is a model of ZF without AC in which there is a set X with Symm(X)/FSymm(X) isomorphic to G.The proof proceeds in two stages. We consider a particularly useful class of permutations, which we call the class of flexible permutations. A permutation of X is flexible if it fixes at least ∣X∣-many points. First we show that every normal subgroup of Symm(X) (of small index) must contain every flexible permutation. This will be theorem 4. Then we show (theorem 7) that the flexible permutations generate Symm(X).