arXiv subjects

Damir D. Dzhafarov

Publications and source records attributed to Damir D. Dzhafarov.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Finite combinatorics and computability theory

We prove that the existence of finite combinatorial objects such as affine planes, mutually orthogonal Latin squares, and resolvable balanced incomplete block designs can be reformulated as the existence of certain algorithmic reductions between problems related to the pigeonhole principle. We then study the latter using counting arguments and computability theory. In particular, we demonstrate that computability theoretic techniques can be used to refine and prove new results in finite combinatorics.

math.CO↗

arXiv2024

Effectiveness and strong graph indivisibility

A relational structure is \emph{strongly indivisible} if for every partition $M = X_0 \sqcup X_1$, the induced substructure on $X_0$ or $X_1$ is isomorphic to $\mathcal{M}$. Cameron (1997) showed that a graph is strongly indivisible if and only if it is the complete graph, the completely disconnected graph, or the random graph. We analyze the strength of Cameron's theorem using tools from computability theory and reverse mathematics. We show that Cameron's theorem is is effective up to computable presentation, and give a partial result towards showing that the full theorem holds in the $ω$-model $\mathsf{REC}$. We also establish that Cameron's original proof makes essential use of the stronger induction scheme $\mathsf{I}Σ^0_2$.

math.LO↗

arXiv2023

On the first-order parts of problems in the Weihrauch degrees

We introduce the notion of the \emph{first-order part} of a problem in the Weihrauch degrees. Informally, the first-order part of a problem $\mathsf{P}$ is the strongest problem with codomaixn $ω$ that is Weihrauch reducible to $\mathsf{P}$. We show that the first-order part is always well-defined, examine some of the basic properties of this notion, and characterize the first-order parts of several well-known problems from the literature.

math.LO↗

arXiv2021

Reduction games, provability, and compactness

Hirschfeldt and Jockusch (2016) introduced a two-player game in which winning strategies for one or the other player precisely correspond to implications and non-implications between $Π^1_2$ principles over $ω$-models of $\mathsf{RCA}_0$. They also introduced a version of this game that similarly captures provability over $\mathsf{RCA}_0$. We generalize and extend this game-theoretic framework to other formal systems, and establish a certain compactness result that shows that if an implication $\mathsf{Q} \to \mathsf{P}$ between two principles holds, then there exists a winning strategy that achieves victory in a number of moves bounded by a number independent of the specific run of the game. This compactness result generalizes an old proof-theoretic fact noted by H.~Wang (1981), and has applications to the reverse mathematics of combinatorial principles. We also demonstrate how this framework leads to a new kind of analysis of the logical strength of mathematical problems that refines both that of reverse mathematics and that of computability-theoretic notions such as Weihrauch reducibility, allowing for a kind of fine-structural comparison between $Π^1_2$ principles that has both computability-theoretic and proof-theoretic aspects, and can help us distinguish between these, for example by showing that a certain use of a principle in a proof is "purely proof-theoretic", as opposed to relying on its computability-theoretic strength. We give examples of this analysis to a number of principles at the level of $\mathsf{B}Σ^0_2$, uncovering new differences between their logical strengths.

math.LO↗

arXiv2021

Milliken's tree theorem and its applications: a computability-theoretic perspective

Milliken's tree theorem is a deep result in combinatorics that generalizes a vast number of other results in the subject, most notably Ramsey's theorem and its many variants and consequences. Motivated by a question of Dobrinen, we initiate the study of Milliken's tree theorem from the point of view of computability theory. Our advance here stems from a careful analysis of the Halpern-Laüchli theorem which shows that it can be carried out effectively (i.e., that it is computably true). We use this as the basis of a new inductive proof of Milliken's tree theorem that permits us to gauge its effectivity in turn. The principal outcome of this is a comprehensive classification of the computable content of Milliken's tree theorem. We apply our analysis also to several well-known applications of Milliken's tree theorem, namely Devlin's theorem, a partition theorem for Rado graphs, and a generalized version of the so-called tree theorem of Chubb, Hirst, and McNicholl. These are all certain kinds of extensions of Ramsey's theorem for different structures, namely the rational numbers, the Rado graph, and perfect binary trees, respectively. We obtain a number of new results about how these principles relate to Milliken's tree theorem and to each other, in terms of both their computability-theoretic and combinatorial aspects. We identify again the familiar dichotomy between coding the halting problem or not based on the size of instance, but this is more subtle here owing to the more complicated underlying structures, particularly in the case of Devlin's theorem. We also establish new structural Ramsey-theoretic properties of the Rado graph theorem and the generalized Chubb-Hirst-McNicholl tree theorem using Zucker's notion of big Ramsey structure.

math.LO↗

arXiv2020

Some results concerning the $\mathsf{SRT}^2_2$ vs. $\mathsf{COH}$ problem

The $\mathsf{SRT}^2_2$ vs.\ $\mathsf{COH}$ problem is a central problem in computable combinatorics and reverse mathematics, asking whether every Turing ideal that satisfies the principle $\mathsf{SRT}^2_2$ also satisfies the principle $\mathsf{COH}$. This paper is a contribution towards further developing some of the main techniques involved in attacking this problem. We study several principles related to each of $\mathsf{SRT}^2_2$ and $\mathsf{COH}$, and prove results that highlight the limits of our current understanding, but also point to new directions ripe for further exploration.

math.LO↗

arXiv2019

Ramsey's theorem and products in the Weihrauch degrees

We study the positions in the Weihrauch lattice of parallel products of various combinatorial principles related to Ramsey's theorem. Among other results, we obtain an answer to a question of Brattka, by showing that Ramsey's theorem for pairs ($\mathsf{RT}^2_2$) is strictly Weihrauch below the parallel product of the stable Ramsey's theorem for pairs and the cohesive principle ($\mathsf{SRT}^2_2 \times \mathsf{COH}$).

math.LO↗

arXiv2018

The reverse mathematics of Hindman's theorem for sums of exactly two elements

Hindman's Theorem (HT) states that for every coloring of $\mathbb N$ with finitely many colors, there is an infinite set $H \subseteq \mathbb N$ such that all nonempty sums of distinct elements of $H$ have the same color. The investigation of restricted versions of HT from the computability-theoretic and reverse-mathematical perspectives has been a productive line of research recently. In particular, HT$^{\leqslant n}_k$ is the restriction of HT to sums of at most $n$ many elements, with at most $k$ colors allowed, and HT$^{=n}_k$ is the restriction of HT to sums of \emph{exactly} $n$ many elements and $k$ colors. Even HT$^{\leqslant 2}_2$ appears to be a strong principle, and may even imply HT itself over RCA$_0$. In contrast, HT$^{=2}_2$ is known to be strictly weaker than HT over RCA$_0$, since HT$^{=2}_2$ follows immediately from Ramsey's Theorem for $2$-colorings of pairs. In fact, it was open for several years whether HT$^{=2}_2$ is computably true. We show that HT$^{=2}_2$ and similar results with addition replaced by subtraction and other operations are not provable in RCA$_0$, or even WKL$_0$. In fact, we show that there is a computable instance of HT$^{=2}_2$ such that all solutions can compute a function that is diagonally noncomputable relative to $\emptyset'$. It follows that there is a computable instance of HT$^{=2}_2$ with no $Σ^0_2$ solution, which is the best possible result with respect to the arithmetical hierarchy. Furthermore, a careful analysis of the proof of the result above about solutions DNC relative to $\emptyset'$ shows that HT$^{=2}_2$ implies RRT$^{=2}_2$, the Rainbow Ramsey Theorem for $2$-colorings of pairs, over RCA$_0$. The most interesting aspect of our construction of computable colorings as above is the use of an effective version of the Lovász Local Lemma due to Rumyantsev and Shen.

math.LO↗

arXiv2016

A note on the reverse mathematics of the sorites

Sorites is an ancient piece of paradoxical reasoning pertaining to sets with the following properties: (Supervenience) elements of the set are mapped into some set of "attributes", (Tolerance) if an element has a given attribute then so are the elements in some vicinity of this element, and (Connectedness) such vicinities can be arranged into pairwise overlapping finite chains connecting two elements with different attributes. Obviously, if Superveneince is assumed, then (1) Tolerance implies lack of Connectedness, and (2) Connectedness implies lack of Tolerance. Using a very general but precise definition of "vicinity", Dzhafarov and Dzhafarov (2010) offered two formalizations of these mutual contrapositions. Mathematically, the formalizations are equally valid, but in this paper, we offer a different basis by which to compare them. Namely, we show that the formalizations have different proof-theoretic strengths when measured in the framework of reverse mathematics: the formalization of (1) is provable in $\mathsf{RCA}_0$, while the formalization of (2) is equivalent to $\mathsf{ACA}_0$ over $\mathsf{RCA}_0$. Thus, in a certain precise sense, the approach of (1) is more constructive than that of (2).

math.LO↗

arXiv2016

Generics for Mathias forcing over general Turing ideals

In Mathias forcing, conditions are pairs $(D,S)$ of sets of natural numbers, in which $D$ is finite, $S$ is infinite, and $\max D < \min S$. The Turing degrees and computational characteristics of generics for this forcing in the special (but important) case where the infinite sets $S$ are computable were thoroughly explored by Cholak, Dzhafarov, Hirst, and Slaman~\cite{CDHS-2014}. In this paper, we undertake a similar investigation for the case where the sets $S$ are members of general countable Turing ideals, and give conditions under which generics for Mathias forcing over one ideal compute generics for Mathias forcing over another. It turns out that if $\mathcal{I}$ does not contain only the computable sets, then non-trivial information can be encoded into the generics for Mathias forcing over $\mathcal{I}$. We give a classification of this information in terms of computability-theoretic properties of the ideal, using coding techniques that also yield new results about introreducibility. In particular, we extend a result of Slaman and Groszek and show that there is an infinite $Δ^0_3$ set with no introreducible subset of the same degree.

math.LO↗

arXiv2016

Ramsey's theorem for singletons and strong computable reducibility

We answer a question posed by Hirschfeldt and Jockusch by showing that whenever $k > \ell$, Ramsey's theorem for singletons and $k$-colorings, $\mathsf{RT}^1_k$, is not strongly computably reducible to the stable Ramsey's theorem for $\ell$-colorings, $\mathsf{SRT}^2_\ell$. Our proof actually establishes the following considerably stronger fact: given $k > \ell$, there is a coloring $c : ω\to k$ such that for every stable coloring $d : [ω]^2 \to \ell$ (computable from $c$ or not), there is an infinite homogeneous set $H$ for $d$ that computes no infinite homogeneous set for $c$. This also answers a separate question of Dzhafarov, as it follows that the cohesive principle, $\mathsf{COH}$, is not strongly computably reducible to the stable Ramsey's theorem for all colorings, $\mathsf{SRT}^2_{<\infty}$. The latter is the strongest partial result to date in the direction of giving a negative answer to the longstanding open question of whether $\mathsf{COH}$ is implied by the stable Ramsey's theorem in $ω$-models of $\mathsf{RCA}_0$.

math.LO↗

arXiv2016

The uniform content of partial and linear orders

The principle $ADS$ asserts that every linear order on $ω$ has an infinite ascending or descending sequence. This has been studied extensively in the reverse mathematics literature, beginning with the work of Hirschfeldt and Shore. We introduce the principle $ADC$, which asserts that linear order has an infinite ascending or descending chain. The two are easily seen to be equivalent over the base system $RCA_0$ of second order arithmetic; they are even computably equivalent. However, we prove that $ADC$ is strictly weaker than $ADS$ under Weihrauch (uniform) reducibility. In fact, we show that even the principle $SADS$, which is the restriction of $ADS$ to linear orders of type $ω+ ω^*$, is not Weihrauch reducible to $ADC$. In this connection, we define a more natural stable form of $ADS$ that we call $General\text-SADS$, which is the restriction of $ADS$ to linear orders of type $k + ω$, $ω+ ω^*$, or $ω+ k$, where $k$ is a finite number. We define $GeneralSADC$ analogously. We prove that $GeneralSADC$ is not Weihrauch reducible to $SADS$, and so in particular, each of $SADS$ and $SADC$ is strictly weaker under Weihrauch reducibility than its general version. Finally, we turn to the principle $CAC$, which asserts that every partial order on $ω$ has an infinite chain or antichain. This has two previously studied stable variants, $SCAC$ and $WSCAC$, which were introduced by Hirschfeldt and Jockusch, and by Jockusch, Kastermans, Lempp, Lerman, and Solomon, respectively, and which are known to be equivalent over $RCA_0$. Here, we show that $SCAC$ is strictly weaker than $WSCAC$ under even computable reducibility.

math.LO↗

arXiv2016

Effectiveness of Hindman's theorem for bounded sums

We consider the strength and effective content of restricted versions of Hindman's Theorem in which the number of colors is specified and the length of the sums has a specified finite bound. Let $\mathsf{HT}^{\leq n}_k$ denote the assertion that for each $k$-coloring $c$ of $\mathbb{N}$ there is an infinite set $X \subseteq \mathbb{N}$ such that all sums $\sum_{x \in F} x$ for $F \subseteq X$ and $0 < |F| \leq n$ have the same color. We prove that there is a computable $2$-coloring $c$ of $\mathbb{N}$ such that there is no infinite computable set $X$ such that all nonempty sums of at most $2$ elements of $X$ have the same color. It follows that $\mathsf{HT}^{\leq 2}_2$ is not provable in $\mathsf{RCA}_0$ and in fact we show that it implies $\mathsf{SRT}^2_2$ in $\mathsf{RCA}_0$. We also show that there is a computable instance of $\mathsf{HT}^{\leq 3}_3$ with all solutions computing $0'$. The proof of this result shows that $\mathsf{HT}^{\leq 3}_3$ implies $\mathsf{ACA}_0$ in $\mathsf{RCA}_0$.

math.LO↗

arXiv2015

Classificatory Sorites, Probabilistic Supervenience, and Rule-Making

We view sorites in terms of stimuli acting upon a system and evoking this system's responses. Supervenience of responses on stimuli implies that they either lack tolerance (i.e., they change in every vicinity of some of the stimuli), or stimuli are not always connectable by finite chains of stimuli in which successive members are `very similar'. If supervenience does not hold, the properties of tolerance and connectedness cannot be formulated and therefore soritical sequences cannot be constructed. We hypothesize that supervenience in empirical systems (such as people answering questions) is fundamentally probabilistic. The supervenience of probabilities of responses on stimuli is stable, in the sense that `higher-order' probability distributions can always be reduced to `ordinary' ones. In making rules about which stimuli ought to correspond to which responses, the main characterization of choices in soritical situations is their arbitrariness. We argue that arbitrariness poses no problems for classical logic.

cs.AI↗

arXiv2015

On uniform relationships between combinatorial problems

The enterprise of comparing mathematical theorems according to their logical strength is an active area in mathematical logic. In this setting, called reverse mathematics, one investigates which theorems provably imply which others in a weak formal theory roughly corresponding to computable mathematics. Since the proofs of such implications take place in classical logic, they may in principle involve appeals to multiple applications of a particular theorem, or to non-uniform decisions about how to proceed in a given construction. In practice, however, if a theorem $\mathsf{Q}$ implies a theorem $\mathsf{P}$, it is usually because there is a direct uniform translation of the problems represented by $\mathsf{P}$ into the problems represented by $\mathsf{Q}$, in a precise sense. We study this notion of uniform reducibility in the context of several natural combinatorial problems, and compare and contrast it with the traditional notion of implication in reverse mathematics. We show, for instance, that for all $n,j,k \geq 1$, if $j < k$ then Ramsey's theorem for $n$-tuples and $k$ many colors does not uniformly reduce to Ramsey's theorem for $j$ many colors. The two theorems are classically equivalent, so our analysis gives a genuinely finer metric by which to gauge the relative strength of mathematical propositions. We also study Weak König's Lemma, the Thin Set Theorem, and the Rainbow Ramsey's Theorem, along with a number of their variants investigated in the literature. Uniform reducibility turns out to be connected with sequential forms of mathematical principles, where one wishes to solve infinitely many instances of a particular problem simultaneously. We exploit this connection to uncover new points of difference between combinatorial problems previously thought to be more closely related.

math.LO↗

arXiv2015

Strong reductions and combinatorial principles

This paper is a contribution to the growing investigation of strong reducibilities between $Π^1_2$ statements of second-order arithmetic, viewed as an extension of the traditional analysis of reverse mathematics. We answer several questions of Hirschfeldt and Jockusch (to appear) about uniform and strong computable reductions between various combinatorial principles related to Ramsey's theorem for pairs. Among other results, we establish that the principle $\mathsf{SRT}^2_2$ is not uniformly or strongly computably reducible to $\mathsf{D}^2_{<\infty}$, that $\mathsf{COH}$ is not uniformly reducible to $\mathsf{D}^2_{<\infty}$, and that $\mathsf{COH}$ is not strongly reducible to $\mathsf{D}^2_2$. The latter also extends a prior result of Dzhafarov (2015). We introduce a number of new techniques for controlling the combinatorial and computability-theoretic properties of the problems and solutions we construct in our arguments.

math.LO↗

arXiv2014

The Complexity of Primes in Computable UFDs

In many simple integral domains, such as $\mathbb{Z}$ or $\mathbb{Z}[i]$, there is a straightforward procedure to determine if an element is prime by simply reducing to a direct check of finitely many potential divisors. Despite the fact that such a naive approach does not immediately translate to integral domains like $\mathbb{Z}[x]$ or the ring of integers in an algebraic number field, there still exist computational procedures that work to determine the prime elements in these cases. In contrast, we will show how to computably extend $\mathbb{Z}$ in such a way that we can control the ordinary integer primes in any $Π_2^0$ way, all while maintaining unique factorization. As a corollary, we establish the existence of a computable UFD such that the set of primes is $Π_2^0$-complete in every computable presentation.

math.LO↗

arXiv2012

Cohesive avoidance and arithmetical sets

An open question in reverse mathematics is whether the cohesive principle, $\COH$, is implied by the stable form of Ramsey's theorem for pairs, $\SRT^2_2$, in $ω$-models of $\RCA$. One typical way of establishing this implication would be to show that for every sequence $\vec{R}$ of subsets of $ω$, there is a set $A$ that is $Δ^0_2$ in $\vec{R}$ such that every infinite subset of $A$ or $\bar{A}$ computes an $\vec{R}$-cohesive set. In this article, this is shown to be false, even under far less stringent assumptions: for all natural numbers $n \geq 2$ and $m < 2^n$, there is a sequence $\vec{R} = \sequence{R_0,...,R_{n-1}}$ of subsets of $ω$ such that for any partition $A_0,...,A_{m-1}$ of $ω$ arithmetical in $\vec{R}$, there is an infinite subset of some $A_j$ that computes no set cohesive for $\vec{R}$. This complements a number of previous results in computability theory on the computational feebleness of infinite sets of numbers with prescribed combinatorial properties. The proof is a forcing argument using an adaptation of the method of Seetapun showing that every finite coloring of pairs of integers has an infinite homogeneous set not computing a given non-computable set.

math.LO↗