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Matthias Baaz

Publications and source records attributed to Matthias Baaz.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Goedel Logics: On the Elimination of The Absoluteness Operator

We investigate the eliminability of the absoluteness operator Delta in Goedel logics. While Delta is not definable from the standard connectives and disrupts important proof-theoretic properties, we show that it becomes eliminable at the propositional level under a restricted semantics in which all propositional atoms (except the truth constant 'True') are interpreted strictly below 1. Under this semantics, every formula containing Delta is equivalent to a disjunction of chain formulas, yielding a Delta-free normal form (standard and restricted semantics coincide w.r.t. valid formulas without Delta). We further analyze the situation in the first-order setting, where Delta-elimination fails in general due to recursion-theoretic and topological constraints, but can be recovered under witnessed semantics.

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arXiv2025

Skolemization and Decidability of the Bernays-Schoenfinkel Class in Goedel Logics

In 1928, Bernays and Schoenfinkel proved the decidability of prenex sentences whose matrices contain no function symbols, now known as the Bernays-Schoenfinkel (BS) class. We investigate the decidability of the BS class for all Goedel logics. Our validity argument relies on the fact that Skolemization works for prenex Goedel logics, while 1-satisfiability follows from structural properties of prenex formulas. We show that validity and 1-satisfiability for the BS class are decidable in every Goedel logic, and that these properties persist across all infinite Goedel logics.

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arXiv2025

Skolemization In Intermediate Logics

Skolemization, with Herbrand's theorem, underpins automated theorem proving and various transformations in computer science and mathematics. Skolemization removes strong quantifiers by introducing new function symbols, enabling efficient proof search algorithms. We characterize intermediate first-order logics that admit standard (and Andrews) Skolemization. These are the logics that allow classical quantifier shift principles. For some logics not in this category, innovative forms of Skolem functions are developed that allow Skolemization. Moreover, we analyze predicate intuitionistic logic with quantifier shift axioms and demonstrate its Kripke frame-incompleteness. These findings may foster resolution-based theorem provers for non-classical logics. This article is part of a larger project investigating Skolemization in non-classical logics.

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arXiv2024

Goedel logics: Prenex fragments

In this paper, we provide a complete classification for the first-order Goedel logics concerning the property that the formulas admit logically equivalent prenex normal forms. We show that the only first-order Goedel logics that admit such prenex forms are those with finite truth value sets since they allow all quantifier-shift rules and the logic $G_\uparrow$ with only one accumulation point at 1 in the infinite truth value set. In all the other cases, there are generally no logically equivalent prenex normal forms. We will also see that $G_\uparrow$ is the intersection of all finite first-order Goedel logics. The second part of this paper investigates the existence of effective equivalence between the validity of a formula and the validity of some prenex normal form. The existence of such a normal form is obvious for finite valued Goedel logic and $G_\uparrow$. Goedel logics with an uncountable truth value set admit the prenex normal forms if and only if every surrounding of 0 is uncountable or 0 is an isolated point. Otherwise, uncountable Goedel logics are not recursively enumerable, however, the prenex fragment is always recursively enumerable. Therefore, there is no effective translation between the valid formula and the valid prenex normal form. However, the existence of effectively constructible validity equivalent prenex forms for the countable case is still up for debate.

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arXiv2024

Epsilon Calculus Provides Shorter Cut-Free Proofs

In this paper we show that cut-free derivations in the epsilon format of sequent calculus provide for a non-elementary speed-up w.r.t. cut-free proofs in usual sequent calculi in first-order language.

math.LO↗
arXiv2021

Epsilon Theorems in Intermediate Logics

Any intermediate propositional logic (i.e., a logic including intuitionistic logic and contained in classical logic) can be extended to a calculus with epsilon- and tau-operators and critical formulas. For classical logic, this results in Hilbert's $\varepsilon$-calculus. The first and second $\varepsilon$-theorems for classical logic establish conservativity of the $\varepsilon$-calculus over its classical base logic. It is well known that the second $\varepsilon$-theorem fails for the intuitionistic $\varepsilon$-calculus, as prenexation is impossible. The paper investigates the effect of adding critical $\varepsilon$- and $τ$-formulas and using the translation of quantifiers into $\varepsilon$- and $τ$-terms to intermediate logics. It is shown that conservativity over the propositional base logic also holds for such intermediate $\varepsilonτ$-calculi. The "extended" first $\varepsilon$-theorem holds if the base logic is finite-valued Gödel-Dummett logic, fails otherwise, but holds for certain provable formulas in infinite-valued Gödel logic. The second $\varepsilon$-theorem also holds for finite-valued first-order Gödel logics. The methods used to prove the extended first $\varepsilon$-theorem for infinite-valued Gödel logic suggest applications to theories of arithmetic.

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arXiv2020

First-Order Interpolation Derived from Propositional Interpolation

This paper develops a general methodology to connect propositional and first-order interpolation. In fact, the existence of suitable skolemizations and of Herbrand expansions together with a propositional interpolant suffice to construct a first-order interpolant. This methodology is realized for lattice-based finitely-valued logics, the top element representing true. It is shown that interpolation is decidable for these logics.

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arXiv2019

Effective Finite-Valued Approximations of General Propositional Logics

Propositional logics in general, considered as a set of sentences, can be undecidable even if they have "nice" representations, e.g., are given by a calculus. Even decidable propositional logics can be computationally complex (e.g., already intuitionistic logic is PSPACE-complete). On the other hand, finite-valued logics are computationally relatively simple - at worst NP. Moreover, finite-valued semantics are simple, and general methods for theorem proving exist. This raises the question to what extent and under what circumstances propositional logics represented in various ways can be approximated by finite-valued logics. It is shown that the minimal $m$-valued logic for which a given calculus is strongly sound can be calculated. It is also investigated under which conditions propositional logics can be characterized as the intersection of (effectively given) sequences of finite-valued logics.

math.LO↗
arXiv2019

Unsound Inferences Make Proofs Shorter

We give examples of calculi that extend Gentzen's sequent calculus LK by unsound quantifier inferences in such a way that (i) derivations lead only to true sequents, and (ii) proofs therein are non-elementarily shorter than LK-proofs.

math.LO↗
arXiv2019

An interpolant in predicate Gödel logic

A logic satisfies the interpolation property provided that whenever a formula Δ is a consequence of another formula Γ, then this is witnessed by a formula Θ which only refers to the language common to Γ and Δ. That is, the relational (and functional) symbols occurring in Θ occur in both Γ and Δ, Γ has Θ as a consequence, and Θ has Δ as a consequence. Both classical and intuitionistic predicate logic have the interpolation property, but it is a long open problem which intermediate predicate logics enjoy it. In 2013 Mints, Olkhovikov, and Urquhart showed that constant domain intuitionistic logic does not have the interpolation property, while leaving open whether predicate Gödel logic does. In this short note, we show that their counterexample for constant domain intuitionistic logic does admit an interpolant in predicate Gödel logic. While this has no impact on settling the question for predicate Gödel logic, it lends some credence to a common belief that it does satisfy interpolation. Also, our method is based on an analysis of the semantic tools of Olkhovikov and it is our hope that this might eventually be useful in settling this question.

math.LO↗
arXiv2012

Theorem proving for prenex Gödel logic with Delta: checking validity and unsatisfiability

Gödel logic with the projection operator Delta (G_Delta) is an important many-valued as well as intermediate logic. In contrast to classical logic, the validity and the satisfiability problems of G_Delta are not directly dual to each other. We nevertheless provide a uniform, computational treatment of both problems for prenex formulas by describing appropriate translations into sets of order clauses that can be subjected to chaining resolution. For validity a version of Herbrand's Theorem allows us to show the soundness of standard Skolemization. For satisfiability the translation involves a novel, extended Skolemization method.

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arXiv2006

First-order Goedel logics

First-order Goedel logics are a family of infinite-valued logics where the sets of truth values V are closed subsets of [0, 1] containing both 0 and 1. Different such sets V in general determine different Goedel logics G_V (sets of those formulas which evaluate to 1 in every interpretation into V). It is shown that G_V is axiomatizable iff V is finite, V is uncountable with 0 isolated in V, or every neighborhood of 0 in V is uncountable. Complete axiomatizations for each of these cases are given. The r.e. prenex, negation-free, and existential fragments of all first-order Goedel logics are also characterized.

math.LO↗
arXiv2002

Approximating Propositional Calculi by Finite-valued Logics

Bernays introduced a method for proving underivability results in propositional calculi by truth tables. In general, this motivates an investigations of how to find, given a propositional logic, a finite-valued logic which has as few tautologies as possible, but which has all the valid formulas of the given logic as tautologies. It is investigated how far this method can be carried using (1) one or (2) an infinite sequence of finite-valued logics. It is shown that the best candidate matrices for (1) can be computed from a calculus, and how sequences for (2) can be found for certain classes of logics (including, in particular, logics characterized by Kripke semantics).

math.LO↗
arXiv2000

Quantified propositional Goedel logics

It is shown that G-up, the quantified propositional Goedel-Dummett logic based on the truth-values set V-up = {1 - 1/n : n >= 1} u {1}, is decidable. This result is obtained by reduction to Buechi's theory S1S. An alternative proof based on elimination of quantifiers is also given, which yields both an axiomatization and a characterization of G-up as the intersection of all finite-valued quantified propositional Goedel logics.

math.LO↗
arXiv2000

Hypersequents and the Proof Theory of Intuitionistic Fuzzy Logic

Takeuti and Titani have introduced and investigated a logic they called intuitionistic fuzzy logic. This logic is characterized as the first-order Goedel logic based on the truth value set [0,1]. The logic is known to be axiomatizable, but no deduction system amenable to proof-theoretic, and hence, computational treatment, has been known. Such a system is presented here, based on previous work on hypersequent calculi for propositional Goedel logics by Avron. It is shown that the system is sound and complete, and allows cut-elimination. A question by Takano regarding the eliminability of the Takeuti-Titani density rule is answered affirmatively.

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