arXiv subjects

Arne Meier

Publications and source records attributed to Arne Meier.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Aspects of Coherence in Dependence Logic

Dependence logic extends first-order logic with dependence atoms asserting that the value of a variable is determined by the values of certain other variables. The semantics of dependence logic has a second-order character and involves sets of assignments, called teams, instead of individual assignments as in the classical Tarski semantics. Since the model-checking problem is known to be NP-complete even for quantifier-free dependence logic (DQF) formulas, researchers have pursued conditions on formulas that make this problem tractable. In 2010, Jarmo Kontinen introduced the notion of k-coherence for dependence logic formulas, where k is a positive integer. This notion asserts that if the formula is satisfied in a structure by all k-element subteams of a given team, then the given team itself satisfies the formula. It has been proved that k-coherent DQF-formulas have a tame model-checking problem, because such formulas admit a first-order rewriting. In this paper, we investigate the structural and algorithmic aspects of coherence. We show that if a DQF-formula is first-order ewritable, then it is k-coherent for some positive integer k. Thus, for DQF-formulas, coherence is equivalent to first-order rewritability. Furthermore, we show that an analogous result holds for universally quantified dependence logic formulas under a stronger notion of coherence. After this, we focus on the complexity of deciding if a given dependence logic formula is k-coherent. We establish that this decision problem is highly undecidable for arbitrary dependence logic formulas, while for DQF-formulas this problem is co-recursively enumerable. Furthermore, we pinpoint the computational complexity of the coherence problem for propositional dependence logic formulas by showing that this problem is complete for the second level of the exponential hierarchy.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2026

On the Complexity of Entailment for Cumulative Propositional Dependence Logics

This paper establishes and proves complexity results for entailment for cumulative propositional dependence logic and for cumulative propositional logic with team semantics. As recently shown, cumulative logics are famously characterised by System~C and exactly captured by the cumulative models of Kraus, Lehmann and Magidor. This gives rise to the entailment problem via relational models, which is specifically considered here.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2026

Modal Fragments

We survey systematic approaches to basis-restricted fragments of propositional logic and modal logics, with an emphasis on how expressive power and computational complexity depend on the allowed operators. The propositional case is well-established and serves as a conceptual template: Post's lattice organizes fragments via Boolean clones and supports complexity classifications for standard reasoning tasks. For modal fragments, we then bring together two historically independent lines of investigation: a general framework where modal fragments are parameterized by a basis of "connectives" defined by arbitrary modal formulas (initially proposed and studied by logicians such as Kuznetsov and Ratsa in the 1970s), and the more tractable class of what we call simple modal fragments parameterized by Boolean functions plus selected modal operators, where Post-lattice methods enable systematic decidability and dichotomy results. Along the way, we collect and extend results on teachability and exact learnability from examples for both propositional fragments and simple modal fragments, and we conclude by identifying several open problems.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2026

Representation Theorems for Cumulative Propositional Dependence Logics

This paper establishes and proves representation theorems for cumulative propositional dependence logic and for cumulative propositional logic with team semantics. Cumulative logics are famously given by System C. For propositional dependence logic, we show that System C entailments are exactly captured by cumulative models from Kraus, Lehmann and Magidor. On the other hand, we show that entailment in cumulative propositional logics with team semantics is exactly captured by cumulative and asymmetric models. For the latter, we also obtain equivalence with cumulative logics based on propositional logic with classical semantics. The proofs will be useful for proving representation theorems for other cumulative logics without negation and material implication.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2025

When Symmetry Yields NP-Hardness: Affine ML-SAT on S5 Frames

Hemaspaandra~et~al.~[JCSS 2010] conjectured that satisfiability for multi-modal logic restricted to the connectives XOR and 1, over frame classes T, S4, and S5, is solvable in polynomial time. We refute this for S5 frames, by proving NP-hardness.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2025

Synchronous Team Semantics for Temporal Logics

We present team semantics for two of the most important linear and branching time specification languages, Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) and Computation Tree Logic (CTL). With team semantics, LTL is able to express hyperproperties, which have in the last decade been identified as a key concept in the verification of information flow properties. We study basic properties of the logic and classify the computational complexity of its satisfiability, path, and model checking problem. Further, we examine how extensions of the basic logic react to adding additional atomic operators. Finally, we compare its expressivity to the one of HyperLTL, another recently introduced logic for hyperproperties. Our results show that LTL with team semantics is a viable alternative to HyperLTL, which complements the expressivity of HyperLTL and has partially better algorithmic properties. For CTL with team semantics, we investigate the computational complexity of the satisfiability and model checking problem. The satisfiability problem is shown to be EXPTIME-complete while we show that model checking is PSPACE-complete.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2025

Logical Approaches to Non-deterministic Polynomial Time over Semirings

We provide a logical characterization of non-deterministic polynomial time defined by BSS machines over semirings via existential second-order logic interpreted in the semiring semantics developed by Grädel and Tannen. Furthermore, we show that, similarly to the classical setting, the satisfiability problem of propositional logic in the semiring semantics is the canonical complete problem for this version of NP. Eventually, we prove that the true existential first-order theory of the semiring is a complete problem for the so-called Boolean part of this version of NP.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2025

Disjunctions of Two Dependence Atoms

Dependence logic is a formalism that augments the syntax of first-order logic with dependence atoms asserting that the value of a variable is determined by the values of some other variables, i.e., dependence atoms express functional dependencies in relational databases. On finite structures, dependence logic captures NP, hence there are sentences of dependence logic whose model-checking problem is NP-complete. In fact, it is known that there are disjunctions of three dependence atoms whose model-checking problem is NP-complete. Motivated from considerations in database theory, we study the model-checking problem for disjunctions of two unary dependence atoms and establish a trichotomy theorem, namely, for every such formula, one of the following is true for the model-checking problem: (i) it is NL-complete; (ii) it is LOGSPACE-complete; (iii) it is first-order definable (hence, in AC[0]). Furthermore, we classify the complexity of the model-checking problem for disjunctions of two arbitrary dependence atoms, and also characterize when such a disjunction is coherent, i.e., when it satisfies a certain small-model property. Along the way, we identify a new class of 2CNF-formulas whose satisfiability problem is LOGSPACE-complete.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2025

Logic and Computation through the Lens of Semirings

We study the expressivity and computational aspects of first-order logic and its extensions in the semiring semantics developed by Grädel and Tannen. We characterize the complexity of model checking and data complexity of first-order logic both in terms of a generalization of Blum-Shub-Smale machines and arithmetic circuits defined over a semiring. In particular, we give a logical characterization of constant-depth arithmetic circuits by an extension of first-order logic that holds for any semiring that is both commutative and positive.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2025

Facets in Argumentation: A Formal Approach to Argument Significance

Argumentation is a central subarea of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for modeling and reasoning about arguments. The semantics of abstract argumentation frameworks (AFs) is given by sets of arguments (extensions) and conditions on the relationship between them, such as stable or admissible. Today's solvers implement tasks such as finding extensions, deciding credulous or skeptical acceptance, counting, or enumerating extensions. While these tasks are well charted, the area between decision, counting/enumeration and fine-grained reasoning requires expensive reasoning so far. We introduce a novel concept (facets) for reasoning between decision and enumeration. Facets are arguments that belong to some extensions (credulous) but not to all extensions (skeptical). They are most natural when a user aims to navigate, filter, or comprehend the significance of specific arguments, according to their needs. We study the complexity and show that tasks involving facets are much easier than counting extensions. Finally, we provide an implementation, and conduct experiments to demonstrate feasibility.

cs.AI↗

arXiv2025

On the Complexity and Properties of Preferential Propositional Dependence Logic

This paper considers the complexity and properties of KLM-style preferential reasoning in the setting of propositional logic with team semantics and dependence atoms, also known as propositional dependence logic. Preferential team-based reasoning is shown to be cumulative, yet violates System~P. We give intuitive conditions that fully characterise those cases where preferential propositional dependence logic satisfies System~P. We show that these characterisations do, surprisingly, not carry over to preferential team-based propositional logic. Furthermore, we show how classical entailment and dependence logic entailment can be expressed in terms of non-trivial preferential models. Finally, we present the complexity of preferential team-based reasoning for two natural representations. This includes novel complexity results for classical (non-team-based) preferential reasoning.

cs.AI↗

arXiv2025

A logic-based framework for database repairs

We introduce a general abstract framework for database repairs, where the repair notions are defined using formal logic. We distinguish between integrity constraints and so-called query constraints. The former are used to model consistency and desirable properties of the data (such as functional dependencies and independencies), while the latter relate two database instances according to their answers to the query constraints. The framework allows for a distinction between hard and soft queries, allowing the answers to a core set of queries to be preserved, as well as defining a distance between instances based on query answers. We illustrate how different notions of repairs from the literature can be modelled within our unifying framework. The framework generalises both set-based and cardinality based repairs to semiring annotated databases. Furthermore, we initiate a complexity-theoretic analysis of consistent query answering and checking existence of a repair within the framework.

cs.DB↗

arXiv2024

Parameterised Complexity of Consistent Query Answering via Graph Representations

We study consistent query answering via different graph representations. First, we introduce solution-conflict hypergraphs in which nodes represent facts and edges represent either conflicts or query solutions. Considering a monotonic query and a set of antimonotonic constraints, we present an explicit algorithm for counting the number of repairs satisfying the query based on a tree decomposition of the solution-conflict hypergraph. The algorithm not only provides fixed-parameter tractability results for data complexity over expressive query and constraint classes, but also introduces a novel and potentially implementable approach to repair counting. Second, we consider the Gaifman graphs arising from MSO descriptions of consistent query answering. Using a generalization of Courcelle's theorem, we then present fixed-parameter tractability results for combined complexity over expressive query and constraint classes.

cs.DB↗

arXiv2024

A SUBSET-SUM Characterisation of the A-Hierarchy

The A-hierarchy is a parametric analogue of the polynomial hierarchy in the context of paramterised complexity theory. We give a new characterisation of the A-hierarchy in terms of a generalisation of the SUBSET-SUM problem.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2024

Rejection in Abstract Argumentation: Harder Than Acceptance?

Abstract argumentation is a popular toolkit for modeling, evaluating, and comparing arguments. Relationships between arguments are specified in argumentation frameworks (AFs), and conditions are placed on sets (extensions) of arguments that allow AFs to be evaluated. For more expressiveness, AFs are augmented with \emph{acceptance conditions} on directly interacting arguments or a constraint on the admissible sets of arguments, resulting in dialectic frameworks or constrained argumentation frameworks. In this paper, we consider flexible conditions for \emph{rejecting} an argument from an extension, which we call rejection conditions (RCs). On the technical level, we associate each argument with a specific logic program. We analyze the resulting complexity, including the structural parameter treewidth. Rejection AFs are highly expressive, giving rise to natural problems on higher levels of the polynomial hierarchy.

cs.AI↗

arXiv2024

Logics with probabilistic team semantics and the Boolean negation

We study the expressivity and the complexity of various logics in probabilistic team semantics with the Boolean negation. In particular, we study the extension of probabilistic independence logic with the Boolean negation, and a recently introduced logic FOPT. We give a comprehensive picture of the relative expressivity of these logics together with the most studied logics in probabilistic team semantics setting, as well as relating their expressivity to a numerical variant of second-order logic. In addition, we introduce novel entropy atoms and show that the extension of first-order logic by entropy atoms subsumes probabilistic independence logic. Finally, we obtain some results on the complexity of model checking, validity, and satisfiability of our logics.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2024

Temporal Team Semantics Revisited

Temporal logics have been studied as an approach to the specification of hyperproperties, resulting in the conception of "hyperlogics". With a few recent exceptions, the hyperlogics thus far developed can only relate different traces of a transition system synchronously. However, important information is contained in the relation between different points in their asynchronous interaction. To specify such "asynchronous hyperproperties", new trace quantifier based hyperlogics have been developed. Yet, hyperlogics with trace quantification cannot express certain requirements that describe the relationships between all executions of a system. Also, these logics induce model checking problems (MC) with prohibitively high complexity costs in the number of quantifier alternations. We study an alternative approach to asynchronous hyperproperties by introducing a novel foundation of temporal team semantics. Team semantics is a logical framework that specifies properties of sets of traces of unbounded size directly, and thus does not have the same limitation as the quantifier based logics mentioned above. We consider temporal team logics which employ quantification over so-called "time evaluation functions" (TEFs) controlling the asynchronous progress of traces instead of quantification over traces. TEFs constitute a novel approach to defining expressive logics for hyperproperties where diverse asynchronous interactions between computations can be formalised and enforced. We show embeddings of synchronous TeamLTL into our new logics. We show that MC for some TeamCTL fragment is highly undecidable. We present a translation from TeamCTL* to Alternating Asynchronous Büchi Automata, and obtain decidability results for the path checking problem and restrictions of MC and SAT. Our translation constitutes the first approach to team semantics based on automata-theoretic methods.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2023

Submodel Enumeration for CTL Is Hard

Expressing system specifications using Computation Tree Logic (CTL) formulas, formalising programs using Kripke structures, and then model checking the system is an established workflow in program verification and has wide applications in AI. In this paper, we consider the task of model enumeration, which asks for a uniform stream of output systems that satisfy the given specification. We show that, given a CTL formula and a system (potentially falsified by the formula), enumerating satisfying submodels is always hard for CTL - regardless of which subset of CTL operators is considered. As a silver lining on the horizon, we present fragments via restrictions on the allowed Boolean functions that still allow for fast enumeration.

cs.LO↗