On the Decision Problem for Two-Variable First-Order Logic

1997 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erich Grädel ◽  
Phokion G. Kolaitis ◽  
Moshe Y. Vardi
Keyword(s):  
Computational Complexity ◽  
Decision Problem ◽  
Order Logic ◽  
First Order Logic ◽  
Satisfiability Problem ◽  
Finite Model ◽  
Model Property ◽  
Finite Model Property ◽  
First Order ◽  
Long Time

AbstractWe identify the computational complexity of the satisfiability problem for FO2, the fragment of first-order logic consisting of all relational first-order sentences with at most two distinct variables. Although this fragment was shown to be decidable a long time ago, the computational complexity of its decision problem has not been pinpointed so far. In 1975 Mortimer proved that FO2 has the finite-model property, which means that if an FO2-sentence is satisiable, then it has a finite model. Moreover, Mortimer showed that every satisfiable FO2-sentence has a model whose size is at most doubly exponential in the size of the sentence. In this paper, we improve Mortimer's bound by one exponential and show that every satisfiable FO2-sentence has a model whose size is at most exponential in the size of the sentence. As a consequence, we establish that the satisfiability problem for FO2 is NEXPTIME-complete.

Small substructures and decidability issues for first-order logic with two variables

2012 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 729-765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuel Kieroński ◽  
Martin Otto
Keyword(s):  
Order Logic ◽  
First Order Logic ◽  
Equivalence Relations ◽  
Finite Model ◽  
Model Property ◽  
Finite Model Property ◽  
First Order ◽  
Surrounding Structure ◽  
Small Model ◽  
Exponential Size

AbstractWe study first-order logic with two variables FO2 and establish a small substructure property. Similar to the small model property for FO2 we obtain an exponential size bound on embedded substructures, relative to a fixed surrounding structure that may be infinite. We apply this technique to analyse the satisfiability problem for FO2 under constraints that require several binary relations to be interpreted as equivalence relations. With a single equivalence relation, FO2 has the finite model property and is complete for non-deterministic exponential time, just as for plain FO2. With two equivalence relations, FO2 does not have the finite model property, but is shown to be decidable via a construction of regular models that admit finite descriptions even though they may necessarily be infinite. For three or more equivalence relations, FO2 is undecidable.

Decidability of cylindric set algebras of dimension two and first-order logic with two variables

1999 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 1563-1572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maarten Marx ◽  
Szabolcs Mikulás
Keyword(s):  
Order Logic ◽  
First Order Logic ◽  
Universal Theory ◽  
Finite Model ◽  
Finite Model Property ◽  
First Order ◽  
Combinatorial Theorem ◽  
Finite Base ◽  
Dimension 2 ◽  
Cylindric Set Algebras

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to give a new proof for the decidability and finite model property of first-order logic with two variables (without function symbols), using a combinatorial theorem due to Herwig. The results are proved in the framework of polyadic equality set algebras of dimension two (Pse2). The new proof also shows the known results that the universal theory of Pse2 is decidable and that every finite Pse2 can be represented on a finite base. Since the class Cs2 of cylindric set algebras of dimension 2 forms a reduct of Pse2, these results extend to Cs2 as well.

On the Restraining Power of Guards

1999 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 1719-1742 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erich Grädel
Keyword(s):  
Order Logic ◽  
First Order Logic ◽  
Finite Model ◽  
Model Property ◽  
Tree Model ◽  
First Order ◽  
Bounded Number ◽  
Decidable Classes ◽  
Guarded Fragment ◽  
Almost All

AbstractGuarded fragments of first-order logic were recently introduced by Andréka, van Benthem and Németi; they consist of relational first-order formulae whose quantifiers are appropriately relativized by atoms. These fragments are interesting because they extend in a natural way many propositional modal logics, because they have useful model-theoretic properties and especially because they are decidable classes that avoid the usual syntactic restrictions (on the arity of relation symbols, the quantifier pattern or the number of variables) of almost all other known decidable fragments of first-order logic.Here, we investigate the computational complexity of these fragments. We prove that the satisfiability problems for the guarded fragment (GF) and the loosely guarded fragment (LGF) of first-order logic are complete for deterministic double exponential time. For the subfragments that have only a bounded number of variables or only relation symbols of bounded arity, satisfiability is Exptime-complete. We further establish a tree model property for both the guarded fragment and the loosely guarded fragment, and give a proof of the finite model property of the guarded fragment.It is also shown that some natural, modest extensions of the guarded fragments are undecidable.

scholarly journals First-Order Logic with Two Variables and Unary Temporal Logic

1997 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kousha Etessami ◽  
Moshe Y. Vardi ◽  
Thomas Wilke
Keyword(s):  
Computational Complexity ◽  
Temporal Logic ◽  
Linear Temporal Logic ◽  
Order Logic ◽  
First Order Logic ◽  
Model Property ◽  
First Order ◽  
The Past ◽  
Small Model ◽  
Input Formula

We investigate the power of first-order logic with only two variables over<br />omega-words and finite words, a logic denoted by FO2. We prove that FO2 can<br />express precisely the same properties as linear temporal logic with only the unary temporal operators: “next”, “previously”, “sometime in the future”, and “sometime in the past”, a logic we denote by unary-TL. Moreover, our translation from FO2 to unary-TL converts every FO2 formula to an equivalent unary-TL formula that is at most exponentially larger, and whose operator depth is at most twice the quantifier depth of the first-order formula. We show that this translation is optimal.<br />While satisfiability for full linear temporal logic, as well as for<br />unary-TL, is known to be PSPACE-complete, we prove that satisfiability<br />for FO2 is NEXP-complete, in sharp contrast to the fact that satisfiability<br />for FO3 has non-elementary computational complexity. Our NEXP time<br />upper bound for FO2 satisfiability has the advantage of being in terms of<br />the quantifier depth of the input formula. It is obtained using a small model property for FO2 of independent interest, namely: a satisfiable FO2 formula has a model whose “size” is at most exponential in the quantifier depth of the formula. Using our translation from FO2 to unary-TL we derive this small model property from a corresponding small model property for unary-TL. Our proof of the small model property for unary-TL is based on an analysis of unary-TL types.

On the Modal μ-Calculus Over Finite Symmetric Graphs

2015 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanna D’Agostino ◽  
Giacomo Lenzi
Keyword(s):  
Lower Bound ◽  
Upper Bound ◽  
Satisfiability Problem ◽  
Finite Model ◽  
Model Property ◽  
Finite Model Property ◽  
Symmetric Graphs ◽  
Trivial Consequence

AbstractIn this paper we consider the alternation hierarchy of the modal μ-calculus over finite symmetric graphs and show that in this class the hierarchy is infinite. The μ-calculus over the symmetric class does not enjoy the finite model property, hence this result is not a trivial consequence of the strictness of the hierarchy over symmetric graphs. We also find a lower bound and an upper bound for the satisfiability problem of the μ-calculus over finite symmetric graphs.

Church’s theorem and the decision problem

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rohit Parikh
Keyword(s):  
Decision Problem ◽  
Combinatorial Problem ◽  
Order Logic ◽  
First Order Logic ◽  
Negative Solution ◽  
Great Contribution ◽  
Solvable Problem ◽  
First Order ◽  
Mathematical Definition ◽  
Definition Of

Church’s theorem, published in 1936, states that the set of valid formulas of first-order logic is not effectively decidable: there is no method or algorithm for deciding which formulas of first-order logic are valid. Church’s paper exhibited an undecidable combinatorial problem P and showed that P was representable in first-order logic. If first-order logic were decidable, P would also be decidable. Since P is undecidable, first-order logic must also be undecidable. Church’s theorem is a negative solution to the decision problem (Entscheidungsproblem), the problem of finding a method for deciding whether a given formula of first-order logic is valid, or satisfiable, or neither. The great contribution of Church (and, independently, Turing) was not merely to prove that there is no method but also to propose a mathematical definition of the notion of ‘effectively solvable problem’, that is, a problem solvable by means of a method or algorithm.

Two variable first-order logic over ordered domains

2001 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 685-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Otto
Keyword(s):  
Order Logic ◽  
Decision Problems ◽  
First Order Logic ◽  
Satisfiability Problem ◽  
Exponential Time ◽  
Infinite Domains ◽  
First Order ◽  
Computation Tree ◽  
Common Extension ◽  
Undecidability Result

AbstractThe satisfiability problem for the two-variable fragment of first-order logic is investigated over finite and infinite linearly ordered, respectively wellordered domains, as well as over finite and infinite domains in which one or several designated binary predicates are interpreted as arbitrary wellfounded relations.It is shown that FO2 over ordered, respectively wellordered. domains or in the presence of one well-founded relation, is decidable for satisfiability as well as for finite satisfiability. Actually the complexity of these decision problems is essentially the same as for plain unconstrained FO2. namely non-deterministic exponential time.In contrast FO2 becomes undecidable for satisfiability and for finite satisfiability, if a sufficiently large number of predicates are required to be interpreted as orderings. wellorderings. or as arbitrary wellfounded relations. This undecidability result also entails the undecidability of the natural common extension of FO2 and computation tree logic CTL.

Some Aspects of Model Theory and Finite Structures

2002 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 380-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Rosen
Keyword(s):  
Computer Science ◽  
Complexity Theory ◽  
Model Theory ◽  
Order Logic ◽  
First Order Logic ◽  
Finite Model ◽  
Finite Model Theory ◽  
First Order ◽  
Single Sentence ◽  
Finite Structures

Model theory is concerned mainly, although not exclusively, with infinite structures. In recent years, finite structures have risen to greater prominence, both within the context of mainstream model theory, e.g., in work of Lachlan, Cherlin, Hrushovski, and others, and with the advent of finite model theory, which incorporates elements of classical model theory, combinatorics, and complexity theory. The purpose of this survey is to provide an overview of what might be called the model theory of finite structures. Some topics in finite model theory have strong connections to theoretical computer science, especially descriptive complexity theory (see [26, 46]). In fact, it has been suggested that finite model theory really is, or should be, logic for computer science. These connections with computer science will, however, not be treated here.It is well-known that many classical results of ‘infinite model theory’ fail over the class of finite structures, including the compactness and completeness theorems, as well as many preservation and interpolation theorems (see [35, 26]). The failure of compactness in the finite, in particular, means that the standard proofs of many theorems are no longer valid in this context. At present, there is no known example of a classical theorem that remains true over finite structures, yet must be proved by substantially different methods. It is generally concluded that first-order logic is ‘badly behaved’ over finite structures.From the perspective of expressive power, first-order logic also behaves badly: it is both too weak and too strong. Too weak because many natural properties, such as the size of a structure being even or a graph being connected, cannot be defined by a single sentence. Too strong, because every class of finite structures with a finite signature can be defined by an infinite set of sentences. Even worse, every finite structure is defined up to isomorphism by a single sentence. In fact, it is perhaps because of this last point more than anything else that model theorists have not been very interested in finite structures. Modern model theory is concerned largely with complete first-order theories, which are completely trivial here.

Simulating polyadic modal logics by monadic ones

2003 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 419-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Goguadze ◽  
Carla Piazza ◽  
Yde Venema
Keyword(s):  
Modal Logics ◽  
Finite Model ◽  
Model Property ◽  
Finite Model Property ◽  
First Order ◽  
First Order Definability

AbstractWe define an interpretation of modal languages with polyadic operators in modal languages that use monadic operators (diamonds) only. We also define a simulation operator which associates a logic Λsim in the diamond language with each logic Λ in the language with polyadic modal connectives. We prove that this simulation operator transfers several useful properties of modal logics, such as finite/recursive axiomatizability, frame completeness and the finite model property, canonicity and first-order definability.

scholarly journals The Triguarded Fragment with Transitivity

10.29007/z359 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuel Kieronski ◽  
Adam Malinowski
Keyword(s):  
Decision Procedure ◽  
Order Logic ◽  
First Order Logic ◽  
Satisfiability Problem ◽  
First Order ◽  
Free Variables ◽  
Guarded Fragment

The triguarded fragment of first-order logic is an extension of the guarded fragment in which quantification for subformulas with at most two free variables need not be guarded. Thus, it unifies two prominent decidable logics: the guarded fragment and the two-variable fragment. Its satisfiability problem is known to be undecidable in the presence of equality, but becomes decidable when equality is forbidden. We consider an extension of the tri- guarded fragment without equality by transitive relations, allowing them to be used only as guards. We show that the satisfiability problem for the obtained formalism is decidable and 2-ExpTime-complete, that is, it is of the same complexity as for the analogous exten- sion of the classical guarded fragment. In fact, in our satisfiability test we use a decision procedure for the latter as a subroutine. We also show how our approach, consisting in exploiting some existing results on guarded logics, can be used to reprove some known facts, as well as to derive some other new results on triguarded logics.

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