A General Verification for Functional Completeness by Abstract Operators

Abstract

An operator set is functionally incomplete if it can not represent the full set $\lbrace \neg,\vee,\wedge,\rightarrow,\leftrightarrow\rbrace$. The verification for the functional incompleteness highly relies on constructive proofs. The judgement with a large untested operator set can be inefficient. Given with a mass of potential operators proposed in various logic systems, a general verification method for their functional completeness is demanded. This paper offers an universal verification for the functional completeness. Firstly, we propose two abstract operators $\widehat{R}$ and $\breve{R}$, both of which have no fixed form and are only defined by several weak constraints. Specially, $\widehat{R}_{\geq}$ and $\breve{R}_{\geq}$ are the abstract operators defined with the total order relation $\geq$. Then, we prove that any operator set $\mathfrak{R}$ is functionally complete if and only if it can represent the composite operator $\widehat{R}_{\geq}\circ\breve{R}_{\geq}$ or $\breve{R}_{\geq}\circ\widehat{R}_{\geq}$. Otherwise $\mathfrak{R}$ is determined to be functionally incomplete. This theory can be generally applied to any untested operator set to determine whether it is functionally complete.