Cut-free Sequent Calculus Research Articles

Coherence via focusing for symmetric skew monoidal and symmetric skew closed categories

Abstract The symmetric skew monoidal categories of Bourke and Lack are a weakening of Mac Lane’s symmetric monoidal categories where (i) the three structural laws of left and right unitality and associativity are not required to be invertible, they are merely natural transformations with a specific orientation; (ii) the structural law of symmetry is a natural isomorphism involving three objects rather than two. In a similar fashion, symmetric skew closed categories are a weakening of de Schipper’s symmetric closed categories with non-invertible structural laws of left and right unitality. In this paper, we study the structural proof theory of symmetric skew monoidal and symmetric skew closed categories, progressing the project initiated by Uustalu et al. on deductive systems for categories with skew structure. We discuss three equivalent presentations of the free symmetric skew monoidal (resp. closed) category on a set of generating objects: a Hilbert-style categorical calculus; a cut-free sequent calculus; a focused subsystem of derivations, corresponding to a sound and complete goal-directed proof search strategy for the cut-free sequent calculus. Focusing defines an effective normalization procedure for maps in the free symmetric skew monoidal (resp. closed) category, as such solving the coherence problem for symmetric skew monoidal (resp. closed) categories.

ONE-VARIABLE FRAGMENTS OF FIRST-ORDER LOGICS

AbstractThe one-variable fragment of a first-order logic may be viewed as an “S5-like” modal logic, where the universal and existential quantifiers are replaced by box and diamond modalities, respectively. Axiomatizations of these modal logics have been obtained for special cases—notably, the modal counterparts $\mathrm {S5}$ and $\mathrm {MIPC}$ of the one-variable fragments of first-order classical logic and first-order intuitionistic logic, respectively—but a general approach, extending beyond first-order intermediate logics, has been lacking. To this end, a sufficient criterion is given in this paper for the one-variable fragment of a semantically defined first-order logic—spanning families of intermediate, substructural, many-valued, and modal logics—to admit a certain natural axiomatization. More precisely, an axiomatization is obtained for the one-variable fragment of any first-order logic based on a variety of algebraic structures with a lattice reduct that has the superamalgamation property, using a generalized version of a functional representation theorem for monadic Heyting algebras due to Bezhanishvili and Harding. An alternative proof-theoretic strategy for obtaining such axiomatization results is also developed for first-order substructural logics that have a cut-free sequent calculus and admit a certain interpolation property.

Cut elimination for coherent theories in negation normal form

We present a cut-free sequent calculus for a class of first-order theories in negation normal form which include coherent and co-coherent theories alike. All structural rules, including cut, are admissible.

Making first order linear logic a generating grammar

It is known that different categorial grammars have surface representation in a fragment of first order multiplicative linear logic (MLL1). We show that the fragment of interest is equivalent to the recently introduced extended tensor type calculus (ETTC). ETTC is a calculus of specific typed terms, which represent tuples of strings, more precisely bipartite graphs decorated with strings. Types are derived from linear logic formulas, and rules correspond to concrete operations on these string-labeled graphs, so that they can be conveniently visualized. This provides the above mentioned fragment of MLL1 that is relevant for language modeling not only with some alternative syntax and intuitive geometric representation, but also with an intrinsic deductive system, which has been absent. In this work we consider a non-trivial notationally enriched variation of the previously introduced ETTC, which allows more concise and transparent computations. We present both a cut-free sequent calculus and a natural deduction formalism.

Logic of knowledge with infinitely many agents

Cut-free sequent calculus for logic of knowledge with infinitely many agents, based on multimodul S5n.

Investigations into intuitionistic and other negations

AbstractIntuitionistic logic formalises the foundational ideas of L.E.J. Brouwer’s mathematical programme of intuitionism. It is one of the earliest non-classical logics, and the difference between classical and intuitionistic logic may be interpreted to lie in the law of the excluded middle, which asserts that either a proposition is true or its negation is true. This principle is deemed unacceptable from the constructive point of view, in whose understanding the law means that there is an effective procedure to determine the truth of all propositions. This understanding of the distinction between the two logics supports the view that negation plays a vital role in the formulation of intuitionistic logic.Nonetheless, the formalisation of negation in intuitionistic logic has not been universally accepted, and many alternative accounts of negation have been proposed. Some seek to weaken or strengthen the negation, and others actively supporting negative inferences that are impossible with it.This thesis follows this tradition and investigates various aspects of negation in intuitionistic logic. Firstly, we look at a problem proposed by H. Ishihara, which asks how effectively one can conserve the deducibility of classical theorems into intuitionistic logic, by assuming atomic classes of non-constructive principles. The classes given in this section improve a previous class given by K. Ishii in two respects: (a) instead of a single class for the law of the excluded middle, two classes are given in terms of weaker principles, allowing a finer analysis and (b) the conservation now extends to a subsystem of intuitionistic logic called Glivenko’s logic. This section also discusses the extension of Ishihara’s problem to minimal logic.Secondly, we study the relationship between two frameworks for weak constructive negation, the approach of D. Vakarelov on one hand and the framework of subminimal negation by A. Colacito, D. de Jongh, and A. L. Vargas on the other hand. We capture a version of Vakarelov’s logic with the semantics of the latter framework, and clarify the relationship between the two semantics. This also provides proof-theoretic insights, which results in the formulation of a cut-free sequent calculus for the aforementioned system.Thirdly, we investigate the ways to unify the formalisations of some logics with contra-intuitionistic inferences. The enquiry concerns paraconsistent logics by R. Sylvan and A. B. Gordienko, as well as the logic of co-negation by G. Priest and of empirical negation by M. De and H. Omori. We take Sylvan’s system as basic, and formulate the frame conditions of the defining axioms of the other systems. The conditions are then used to obtain cut-free labelled sequent calculi for the systems.Finally, we consider L. Humberstone’s actuality operator for intuitionistic logic, which can be seen as the dualisation of a contra-intuitionistic negation. A compete axiomatisation of intuitionistic logic with actuality operator is given, and comparisons are made for some related operators.Abstract prepared by Satoru Niki.E-mail:Satoru.Niki@rub.de

Proof Theory of Skew Non-Commutative MILL

Monoidal closed categories naturally model NMILL, non-commutative multiplicative intuitionistic linear logic: the monoidal unit and tensor interpret the multiplicative verum and conjunction; the internal hom interprets linear implication. In recent years, the weaker notion of (left) skew monoidal closed category has been proposed by Ross Street, where the three structural laws of left and right unitality and associativity are not required to be invertible, they are merely natural transformations with a specific orientation. A question arises: is it possible to find a logic which is naturally modelled by skew monoidal closed categories? We answer positively by introducing a cut-free sequent calculus for a skew version of NMILL that is a presentation of the free skew monoidal closed category. We study the proof-theoretic semantics of the sequent calculus by identifying a calculus of derivations in normal form, obtained from an adaptation of Andreoli's focusing technique to the skew setting. The resulting focused sequent calculus peculiarly employs a system of tags for keeping track of new formulae appearing in the antecedent and appropriately reducing non-deterministic choices in proof search. Focusing solves the coherence problem for skew monoidal closed categories by exhibiting an effective procedure for deciding equality of maps in the free such category.

Correction to: Cut-free Sequent Calculus and Natural Deduction for the Tetravalent Modal Logic

Correction to: Cut-free Sequent Calculus and Natural Deduction for the Tetravalent Modal Logic

Proof Compression and NP Versus PSPACE II: Addendum

In our previous work we proved the conjecture NP = PSPACE by advanced proof theoretic methods that combined Hudelmaier’s cut-free sequent calculus for minimal logic (HSC) with the horizontal compressing in the corresponding minimal Prawitz-style natural deduction (ND). In this Addendum we show how to prove a weaker result NP = coNP without referring to HSC. The underlying idea (due to the second author) is to omit full minimal logic and compress only “naive” normal tree-like ND refutations of the existence of Hamiltonian cycles in given non-Hamiltonian graphs, since the Hamiltonian graph problem in NPcomplete. Thus, loosely speaking, the proof of NP = coNP can be obtained by HSC-elimination from our proof of NP = PSPACE.

Cut-free Sequent Calculus and Natural Deduction for the Tetravalent Modal Logic

AbstractThe tetravalent modal logic ($${\mathcal {TML}}$$ TML ) is one of the two logics defined by Font and Rius (J Symb Log 65(2):481–518, 2000) (the other is the normal tetravalent modal logic$${{\mathcal {TML}}}^N$$ TML N ) in connection with Monteiro’s tetravalent modal algebras. These logics are expansions of the well-known Belnap–Dunn’s four-valued logic that combine a many-valued character (tetravalence) with a modal character. In fact, $${\mathcal {TML}}$$ TML is the logic that preserves degrees of truth with respect to tetravalent modal algebras. As Font and Rius observed, the connection between the logic $${\mathcal {TML}}$$ TML and the algebras is not so good as in $${{\mathcal {TML}}}^N$$ TML N , but, as a compensation, it has a better proof-theoretic behavior, since it has a strongly adequate Gentzen calculus (see Font and Rius in J Symb Log 65(2):481–518, 2000). In this work, we prove that the sequent calculus given by Font and Rius does not enjoy the cut-elimination property. Then, using a general method proposed by Avron et al. (Log Univ 1:41–69, 2006), we provide a sequent calculus for $${\mathcal {TML}}$$ TML with the cut-elimination property. Finally, inspired by the latter, we present a natural deduction system, sound and complete with respect to the tetravalent modal logic.

Deductive Systems and Coherence for Skew Prounital Closed Categories

In this paper, we develop the proof theory of skew prounital closed categories. These are variants of the skew closed categories of Street where the unit is not represented. Skew closed categories in turn are a weakening of the closed categories of Eilenberg and Kelly where no structural law is required to be invertible. The presence of a monoidal structure in these categories is not required. We construct several equivalent presentations of the free skew prounital closed category on a given set of generating objects: a categorical calculus (Hilbert-style system), a cut-free sequent calculus and a natural deduction system corresponding to a variant of planar (= non-commutative linear) typed lambda-calculus. We solve the coherence problem for skew prounital closed categories by showing that the sequent calculus admits focusing and presenting two reduction-free normalization procedures for the natural deduction calculus: normalization by evaluation and hereditary substitutions. Normal natural deduction derivations (beta-eta-long forms) are in one-to-one correspondence with derivations in the focused sequent calculus. Unexpectedly, the free skew prounital closed category on a set satisfies a left-normality condition which makes it lose its skew aspect. This pitfall can be avoided by considering the free skew prounital closed category on a skew multicategory instead. The latter has a presentation as a cut-free sequent calculus for which it is easy to see that the left-normality condition generally fails. The whole development has been fully formalized in the dependently typed programming language Agda.

Proof Compression and NP Versus PSPACE II

We upgrade [3] to a complete proof of the conjecture NP = PSPACE that is known as one of the fundamental open problems in the mathematical theory of computational complexity; this proof is based on [2]. Since minimal propositional logic is known to be PSPACE complete, while PSPACE to include NP, it suffices to show that every valid purely implicational formula ρ has a proof whose weight (= total number of symbols) and time complexity of the provability involved are both polynomial in the weight of ρ. As is [3], we use proof theoretic approach. Recall that in [3] we considered any valid ρ in question that had (by the definition of validity) a “short” tree-like proof π in the Hudelmaier-style cutfree sequent calculus for minimal logic. The “shortness” means that the height of π and the total weight of different formulas occurring in it are both polynomial in the weight of ρ. However, the size (= total number of nodes), and hence also the weight, of π could be exponential in that of ρ. To overcome this trouble we embedded π into Prawitz’s proof system of natural deductions containing single formulas, instead of sequents. As in π, the height and the total weight of different formulas of the resulting tree-like natural deduction ∂1 were polynomial, although the size of ∂1 still could be exponential, in the weight of ρ. In our next, crucial move, ∂1 was deterministically compressed into a “small”, although multipremise, dag-like deduction ∂ whose horizontal levels contained only mutually different formulas, which made the whole weight polynomial in that of ρ. However, ∂ required a more complicated verification of the underlying provability of ρ. In this paper we present a nondeterministic compression of ∂ into a desired standard dag-like deduction ∂0 that deterministically proves ρ in time and space polynomial in the weight of ρ.2 Together with [3] this completes the proof of NP = PSPACE.Natural deductions are essential for our proof. Tree-to-dag horizontal compression of π merging equal sequents, instead of formulas, is (possible but) not sufficient, since the total number of different sequents in π might be exponential in the weight of ρ – even assuming that all formulas occurring in sequents are subformulas of ρ. On the other hand, we need Hudelmaier’s cutfree sequent calculus in order to control both the height and total weight of different formulas of the initial tree-like proof π, since standard Prawitz’s normalization although providing natural deductions with the subformula property does not preserve polynomial heights. It is not clear yet if we can omit references to π even in the proof of the weaker result NP = coNP.

Lyndon’s interpolation property for the logic of strict implication

Abstract The main result proves Lyndon’s and Craig’s interpolation properties for the logic of strict implication ${\textsf{F}}$, with a purely syntactical method. A cut-free G3-style sequent calculus $ {\textsf{GF}} $ and its single-succedent variant $ \textsf{GF}_{\textsf{s}} $ are introduced. $ {\textsf{GF}} $ can be extended to a G3-variant of the sequent calculus GBPC3 for Visser’s basic logic. Also a simple syntactic proof of known embedding result of $ {\textsf{F}} $ into $ {\textsf{K}} $ is provided. An extension of $ {\textsf{F}} $, namely $ \textsf{FD}, $ is considered as well.

A Generalized Proof-Theoretic Approach to Logical Argumentation Based on Hypersequents

In this paper we introduce hypersequent-based frameworks for the modelling of defeasible reasoning by means of logic-based argumentation and the induced entailment relations. These structures are an extension of sequent-based argumentation frameworks, in which arguments and the attack relations among them are expressed not only by Gentzen-style sequents, but by more general expressions, called hypersequents. This generalization allows us to overcome some of the known weaknesses of logical argumentation frameworks and to prove several desirable properties of the entailments that are induced by the extended (hypersequent-based) frameworks. It also allows us to incorporate as the deductive base of our formalism some well-known logics (like the intermediate logic LC, the modal logic S5, and the relevance logic RM), which lack cut-free sequent calculi, and so are not adequate for standard sequent-based argumentation. We show that hypersequent-based argumentation yields robust defeasible variants of these logics, with many desirable properties.

Intuitionistic Non-normal Modal Logics: A General Framework

We define a family of intuitionistic non-normal modal logics; they can be seen as intuitionistic counterparts of classical ones. We first consider monomodal logics, which contain only Necessity or Possibility. We then consider the more important case of bimodal logics, which contain both modal operators. In this case we define several interactions between Necessity and Possibility of increasing strength, although weaker than duality. We thereby obtain a lattice of 24 distinct bimodal logics. For all logics we provide both a Hilbert axiomatisation and a cut-free sequent calculus, on its basis we also prove their decidability. We then define a semantic characterisation of our logics in terms of neighbourhood models containing two distinct neighbourhood functions corresponding to the two modalities. Our semantic framework captures modularly not only our systems but also already known intuitionistic non-normal modal logics such as Constructive K (CK) and the propositional fragment of Wijesekera’s Constructive Concurrent Dynamic Logic.

A note on the system GRW with the intensional contraction rule

Abstract In Ilić and Boričić (2014, Log. J. IGPL, 22, 673–695), the right-handed cut-free sequent calculus $GRW$ for the contraction-less relevant logic $RW$ is defined. In this paper, we show that the enlargement of the system $GRW$ with the structural rule of intensional contraction (WI) presents the sequent system for the principal relevant logic $R$ but the rule of cut cannot be eliminated in $GRW+$(WI).

Cut elimination and complexity bounds for intuitionistic epistemic logic

Abstract The formal system of intuitionistic epistemic logic (IEL) was proposed by S. Artemov and T. Protopopescu. It provides the formal foundation for the study of knowledge from an intuitionistic point of view based on Brouwer–Heyting–Kolmogorov semantics of intuitionism. We construct a cut-free sequent calculus for IEL and establish that polynomial space is sufficient for the proof search in it. We prove that IEL is PSPACE-complete.

A derivation-loop method for temporal logic

Various types of calculi (Hilbert, Gentzen sequent, resolution calculi, tableaux) for propositional linear temporal logic (PLTL) have been considered in the literature. Cutfree Gentzen-type sequent calculi are convenient tools for backward proof-search search of formulas and sequents. In this paper we present a cut-free Gentzen type sequent calculus for PLTL with the operator

Expansion trees with cut

AbstractHerbrand’s theorem is one of the most fundamental insights in logic. From the syntactic point of view, it suggests a compact representation of proofs in classical first- and higher-order logics by recording the information of which instances have been chosen for which quantifiers. This compact representation is known in the literature as Miller’s expansion tree proof. It is inherently analytic and hence corresponds to a cut-free sequent calculus proof. Recently several extensions of such proof representations to proofs with cuts have been proposed. These extensions are based on graphical formalisms similar to proof nets and are limited to prenex formulas.In this paper, we present a new syntactic approach that directly extends Miller’s expansion trees by cuts and also covers non-prenex formulas. We describe a cut-elimination procedure for our expansion trees with cut that is based on the natural reduction steps and shows that it is weakly normalizing.

Lyndon interpolation theorem of instantial neighborhood logic – constructively via a sequent calculus

Instantial neighborhood logic (INL) is classical propositional logic enriched by a two-sorted operator □. In a neighborhood model, a formula like □(α1,...,αj;α0) (for an arbitrary natural number j) means that, the current point has a neighborhood in which α0 universally holds and none of α1,...,αj universally fails. This paper offers to INL: (1) a cut-free sequent calculus, and (2) a constructive proof of its Lyndon interpolation theorem.