Logic for Computer Scientists/Predicate Logic/Semantics

Semantics

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Definition 4 (Semantics of predicate logic - Interpretation)

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An interpretation is a pair  , where

  •   is an arbitrary nonempty set, called domain, or universe.
  •   is a mapping which associates to
    • a  -ary predicate symbol, a  -ary predicate over  ,
    • a  -ary function symbol, a  -ary function over  , and
    • a variable an element from the domain.

Let   be a formula and   be an interpretation. We call   an interpretation for  , if   is defined for every predicate and function symbol, and for every variable, that occurs free in   .


Example: Let   and assume the varieties of the symbols as written down. In the following we give two interpretations for  :

  •  , such that
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
    Under this interpretation the formula   can be read as " Every natural number is smaller than its successor and the sum of   and   is a prime number."
  •  , such that
    •  
    •   for  
    •  , if  
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  


For a given interpretation   we write in the following   instead of  ; the same abbreviation will be used for the assignments for function symbols and variables.

Definition 5 (Semantics of predicate logic - Evaluation of Formulae)

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Let   be a formula and   an interpretation for  . For terms   which can be composed with symbols from   the value   is given by

  •  
  •  , if   are terms and   a  -ary function symbol. (This holds for the case   as well.)

The value   of a formula   is given by

  •  


  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

where,  


The notions of satisfiable, valid, and   are defined according to the propositional case (Semantic (Propositional logic)).


Note that, predicate calculus is an extension of propositional calculus: Assume only  -ary predicate symbols and a formula which contains no variable, i.e. there can be no terms and no quantifier in a well-formed formula.

On the other hand, predicate calculus can be extended: If one allows for quantifications over predicate and function symbols, we arrive at a second order predicate calculus. E.g.

 

Another example for a second order formula of is the induction principle from Induction.

Problems

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Problem 1 (Predicate)

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The interpretation   as follows:

 
 
 
 

Determine the value of following terms and formulae:

  1.  
  2.  
  3.  
  4.  

 

Problem 2 (Predicate)

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The interpretation   as follows:

 

 
 
 
 
 

 

Determine the value of following terms and formulae:

 
 
 
 


 

Problem 3 (Predicate)

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The following formula is given:

 

Indicate a structure  , which is a model for   and a structure   which is no model for  !