Note on a conjecture of Skolem

1946 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 73-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emil L. Post
Keyword(s):  
Recursive Function ◽  
Recursive Relation ◽  
Natural Numbers ◽  
Excellent Review ◽  
Recursive Functions ◽  
Diagonal Argument ◽  
Primitive Recursive ◽  
Recursive Relations

In his excellent review of four notes of Skolem on recursive functions of natural numbers Bernays states: “The question whether every relation y = f(x1,…, xn) with a recursive function ƒ is primitive recursive remains undecided.” Actually, the question is easily answered in the negative by a form of the familiar diagonal argument.We start with the ternary recursive relation R, referred to in the review, such that R(x, y, 0), R(x, y, 1), … is an enumeration of all binary primitive recursive relations.

A note on the representation of general recursive functions and the μ quantifier

1959 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-148
Author(s):  
Alan Rose
Keyword(s):  
Natural Number ◽  
Recursive Function ◽  
Natural Numbers ◽  
General Recursive Function ◽  
Recursive Functions ◽  
Image Position ◽  
Primitive Recursive

It has been shown that every general recursive function is definable by application of the five schemata for primitive recursive functions together with the schemasubject to the condition that, for each n–tuple of natural numbers x1,…, xn there exists a natural number xn+1 such that

A Hierarchy on the Class of Primitive Recursive Ordinal Functions

1976 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 1205-1209
Author(s):  
Stanley H. Stahl
Keyword(s):  
Natural Numbers ◽  
Recursive Functions ◽  
Set Functions ◽  
Primitive Recursive ◽  
Class Of Functions ◽  
Recursive Set

The class of primitive recursive ordinal functions (PR) has been studied recently by numerous recursion theorists and set theorists (see, for example, Platek [3] and Jensen-Karp [2]). These investigations have been part of an inquiry concerning a larger class of functions; in Platek's case, the class of ordinal recursive functions and in the case of Jensen and Karp, the class of primitive recursive set functions. In [4] I began to study PR in depth and this paper is a report on an attractive analogy between PR and its progenitor, the class of primitive recursive functions on the natural numbers (Prim. Rec).

Primitive recursive ordinal functions with added constants

1977 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-82
Author(s):  
Stanley H. Stahl
Keyword(s):  
Constant Function ◽  
Natural Numbers ◽  
Recursive Functions ◽  
Primitive Recursive

One of the basic differences between the primitive recursive functions on the natural numbers and the primitive recursive ordinal functions (PR) is the nearly complete absence of constant functions in PR. Since ω is closed under all of the functions in PR, if α is any infinite ordinal, then λξ·α is not in PR. It is easily seen, however, that if one adds to the initial functions of PR the constant function λξ·ω, then all of the ordinals up to ω#, the next largest PR-closed ordinal, have their constant functions in this class. Since, however, such collections of functions are always countable, it is also the case that if one adds to the initial functions of PR the function λξ. α for uncountable α, then there are ordinals β < α whose constant functions are not in this collection. Because of this, the following objects are of interest:Definition. For all α,(i)PR(α) is the collection of functions obtained by adding to the initial primitive recursive ordinal functions, the function λξ· α;(ii) PRsp(α), the primitive recursive spectrum of α, is the set {β < α ∣ λξβ ∈ PR(α);(iii) Λ (α)= μρ(ρ∉ PRsp(α)).

On definition trees of ordinal recursive functionals: Reduction of the recursion orders by means of type level raising

1982 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 395-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Terlouw
Keyword(s):  
Lower Order ◽  
Recursive Function ◽  
Functional Interpretation ◽  
Crucial Step ◽  
Recursive Functions ◽  
Order Types ◽  
Primitive Recursive ◽  
Primitive Recursive Functionals

It is known that every < ε0-recursive function is also a primitive recursive functional. Kreisel has proved this by means of Gödel's functional-interpretation, using that every < ε0-recursive function is provably recursive in Heyting's arithmetic [2, §3.4]. Parsons obtained a refinement of Kreisel's result by a further examination of Gödel's interpretation with regard to type levels [3, Theorem 5], [4, §4]. A quite different proof is provided by the research into extensions of the Grzegorczyk hierarchy as done by Schwichtenberg and Wainer: this yields another characterization of the < ε0-recursive functions from which easily appears that these are primitive recursive functionals (see [5] in combination with [6, Chapter II]).However, these proofs are indirect and do not show how, in general, given a definition tree of an ordinal recursive functional, transfinite recursions can be replaced (in a straightforward way) by recursions over wellorderings of lower order types. The argument given by Tait in [9, pp. 189–191] seems to be an improvement in this respect, but the crucial step in it is (at least in my opinion) not very clear.

A note on nominalism and recursive functions

1949 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Martin
Keyword(s):  
General Theory ◽  
Philosophy Of Science ◽  
Recursive Function ◽  
Homogeneous System ◽  
Formal Logic ◽  
Abstract Objects ◽  
Natural Numbers ◽  
General Recursive Function ◽  
Recursive Functions ◽  
Definition Of

The purpose of this note is (i) to point out an important similarity between the nominalistic system discussed by Quine in his recent paper On universals and the system of logic (the system н) developed by the author in A homogeneous system for formal logic, (ii) to offer certain corrections to the latter, and (iii) to show that that system (н) is adequate for the general theory of ancestrale and for the definition of any general recursive function of natural numbers.Nominalism as a thesis in the philosophy of science, according to Quine, is the view that it is possible to construct a language adequate for the purposes of science, which in no wise admits classes, properties, relations, or other abstract objects as values for variables.

scholarly journals What Finitism Could Not Be

2003 ◽  
Vol 35 (103) ◽  
pp. 43-68
Author(s):  
Matthias Schirn ◽  
Karl-Georg Niebergall
Keyword(s):  
Natural Numbers ◽  
Recursive Functions ◽  
Primitive Recursive

 In his paper "Finitism" (1981), W.W. Tait maintains that the chief difficulty for everyone who wishes to understand Hilbert's conception of finitist mathematics is this: to specify the sense of the provability of general statements about the natural numbers without presupposing infinite totalities. Tait further argues that all finitist reasoning is essentially primitive recursive. In this paper, we attempt to show that his thesis "The finitist functions are precisely the primitive recursive functions" is disputable and that another, likewise defended by him, is untenable. The second thesis is that the finitist theorems are precisely the universal closures of the equations that can be proved in PRA.

Incompleteness along paths in progressions of theories

1962 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 383-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Feferman ◽  
C. Spector
Keyword(s):  
Number Theory ◽  
Recursive Function ◽  
Order Number ◽  
Basic Logic ◽  
Natural Numbers ◽  
Logical Deduction ◽  
First Order ◽  
Primitive Recursive Function ◽  
Primitive Recursive ◽  
Recursive Definitions

We deal in the following with certain theories S, by which we mean sets of sentences closed under logical deduction. The basic logic is understood to be the classical one, but we place no restriction on the orders of the variables to be used. However, we do assume that we can at least express certain notions from classical first-order number theory within these theories. In particular, there should correspond to each primitive recursive function ξ a formula φ(χ), where ‘x’ is a variable ranging over natural numbers, such that for each numeral ñ, φ(ñ) expresses in the language of S that ξ(η) = 0. Such formulas, when obtained say by the Gödel method of eliminating primitive recursive definitions in favor of arithmetical definitions in +. ·. are called PR-formulas (cf. [1] §2 (C)).

On axiomatizability within a system

1953 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Craig
Keyword(s):  
Recursive Function ◽  
Recursive Relation ◽  
Recursively Enumerable Set ◽  
Formal Systems ◽  
Primitive Recursive Function ◽  
Recursively Enumerable ◽  
Primitive Recursive ◽  
Recursive Set

Let C be the closure of a recursively enumerable set B under some relation R. Suppose there is a primitive recursive relation Q, such that Q is a symmetric subrelation of R (i.e. if Q(m, n), then Q(n, m) and R(m, n)), and such that, for each m ϵ B, Q(m, n) for infinitely many n. Then there exists a primitive recursive set A, such that C is the closure under R of A. For proof, note that , where f is a primitive recursive function which enumerates B, has the required properties. For each m ϵ B, there is an n ϵ A, such that Q(m, n) and hence Q(n, m); therefore the closure of A under Q, and hence that under R, includes B. Conversely, since Q is a subrelation of R, A is included in C. Finally, that A is primitive recursive follows from [2] p. 180.This observation can be applied to many formal systems S, by letting R correspond to the relation of deducibility in S, so that R(m, n) if and only if m is the Gödel number of a formula of S, or of a sequence of formulas, from which, together with axioms of S, a formula with the Gödel number n can be obtained by applications of rules of inference of S.

Arithmetical representation of recursively enumerable sets

1956 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphael M. Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Recursive Function ◽  
Natural Numbers ◽  
General Recursive Function ◽  
Recursively Enumerable Set ◽  
Integer Coefficients ◽  
Primitive Recursive Function ◽  
Recursively Enumerable ◽  
Image Position ◽  
The Right ◽  
Primitive Recursive

A set S of natural numbers is called recursively enumerable if there is a general recursive function F(x, y) such thatIn other words, S is the projection of a two-dimensional general recursive set. Actually, it is no restriction on S to assume that F(x, y) is primitive recursive. If S is not empty, it is the range of the primitive recursive functionwhere a is a fixed element of S. Using pairing functions, we see that any non-empty recursively enumerable set is also the range of a primitive recursive function of one variable.We use throughout the logical symbols ⋀ (and), ⋁ (or), → (if…then…), ↔ (if and only if), ∧ (for every), and ∨(there exists); negation does not occur explicitly. The variables range over the natural numbers, except as otherwise noted.Martin Davis has shown that every recursively enumerable set S of natural numbers can be represented in the formwhere P(y, b, w, x1 …, xλ) is a polynomial with integer coefficients. (Notice that this would not be correct if we replaced ≤ by <, since the right side of the equivalence would always be satisfied by b = 0.) Conversely, every set S represented by a formula of the above form is recursively enumerable. A basic unsolved problem is whether S can be defined using only existential quantifiers.

How is it that infinitary methods can be applied to finitary mathematics? Gödel's T: a case study

1998 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 1348-1370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Weiermann
Keyword(s):  
Recursive Function ◽  
Term Rewriting ◽  
Careful Analysis ◽  
Recursion Theory ◽  
Cut Elimination ◽  
Complexity Bounds ◽  
Recursive Functions ◽  
Collapsing Function ◽  
Primitive Recursive

AbstractInspired by Pohlers' local predicativity approach to Pure Proof Theory and Howard's ordinal analysis of bar recursion of type zero we present a short, technically smooth and constructive strong normalization proof for Gödel's system T of primitive recursive functionals of finite types by constructing an ε0-recursive function []0: T → ω so that a reduces to b implies [a]0 > [b]0. The construction of [ ]0 is based on a careful analysis of the Howard-Schütte treatment of Gödel's T and utilizes the collapsing function ψ: ε0 → ω which has been developed by the author for a local predicativity style proof-theoretic analysis of PA. The construction of [ ]0 is also crucially based on ideas developed in the 1995 paper “A proof of strongly uniform termination for Gödel's T by the method of local predicativity” by the author. The results on complexity bounds for the fragments of T which are obtained in this paper strengthen considerably the results of the 1995 paper.Indeed, for given n let Tn be the subsystem of T in which the recursors have type level less than or equal to n + 2. (By definition, case distinction functionals for every type are also contained in Tn.) As a corollary of the main theorem of this paper we obtain (reobtain?) optimal bounds for the Tn-derivation lengths in terms of ω+2-descent recursive functions. The derivation lengths of type one functionals from Tn (hence also their computational complexities) are classified optimally in terms of <ωn+2 -descent recursive functions.In particular we obtain (reobtain?) that the derivation lengths function of a type one functional a ∈ T0 is primitive recursive, thus any type one functional a in T0 defines a primitive recursive function. Similarly we also obtain (reobtain?) a full classification of T1 in terms of multiple recursion.As proof-theoretic corollaries we reobtain the classification of the IΣn+1-provably recursive functions. Taking advantage from our finitistic and constructive treatment of the terms of Gödel's T we reobtain additionally (without employing continuous cut elimination techniques) that PRA + PRWO(ε0) ⊢ Π20 − Refl(PA) and PRA + PRWO(ωn+2) ⊢ Π20 − Refl(IΣn+1), hence PRA + PRWO(ε0) ⊢ Con(PA) and PRA + PRWO(ωn+2) ⊢ Con(IΣn+1).For programmatic reasons we outline in the introduction a vision of how to apply a certain type of infinitary methods to questions of finitary mathematics and recursion theory. We also indicate some connections between ordinals, term rewriting, recursion theory and computational complexity.

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