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Quantifier-free Formula
In mathematical logic, propositional logic and predicate logic, a well-formed formula, abbreviated WFF or wff, often simply formula, is a finite sequence of symbols from a given alphabet that is part of a formal language. The abbreviation wff is pronounced "woof", or sometimes "wiff", "weff", or "whiff". A formal language can be identified with the set of formulas in the language. A formula is a syntactic object that can be given a semantic meaning by means of an interpretation. Two key uses of formulas are in propositional logic and predicate logic. Introduction A key use of formulas is in propositional logic and predicate logic such as first-order logic. In those contexts, a formula is a string of symbols φ for which it makes sense to ask "is φ true?", once any free variables in φ have been instantiated. In formal logic, proofs can be represented by sequences of formulas with certain properties, and the final formula in the sequence is what is proven. Although the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mathematical Logic
Mathematical logic is the study of Logic#Formal logic, formal logic within mathematics. Major subareas include model theory, proof theory, set theory, and recursion theory (also known as computability theory). Research in mathematical logic commonly addresses the mathematical properties of formal systems of logic such as their expressive or deductive power. However, it can also include uses of logic to characterize correct mathematical reasoning or to establish foundations of mathematics. Since its inception, mathematical logic has both contributed to and been motivated by the study of foundations of mathematics. This study began in the late 19th century with the development of axiomatic frameworks for geometry, arithmetic, and Mathematical analysis, analysis. In the early 20th century it was shaped by David Hilbert's Hilbert's program, program to prove the consistency of foundational theories. Results of Kurt Gödel, Gerhard Gentzen, and others provided partial resolution to th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Propositional Variable
In mathematical logic, a propositional variable (also called a sentence letter, sentential variable, or sentential letter) is an input variable (that can either be true or false) of a truth function. Propositional variables are the basic building-blocks of propositional formulas, used in propositional logic and higher-order logics. Uses Formulas in logic are typically built up recursively from some propositional variables, some number of logical connectives, and some logical quantifiers. Propositional variables are the atomic formulas of propositional logic, and are often denoted using capital roman letters such as P, Q and R. ;Example In a given propositional logic, a formula can be defined as follows: * Every propositional variable is a formula. * Given a formula ''X'', the negation ''¬X'' is a formula. * Given two formulas ''X'' and ''Y'', and a binary connective ''b'' (such as the logical conjunction ∧), the expression ''(X b Y)'' is a formula. (Note the parenth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Formation Rules
In mathematical logic, formation rules are rules for describing well-formed words over the alphabet of a formal language. These rules only address the location and manipulation of the strings of the language. It does not describe anything else about a language, such as its semantics (i.e. what the strings mean). (See also formal grammar). Formal language A ''formal language'' is an organized set of symbols the essential feature being that it can be precisely defined in terms of just the shapes and locations of those symbols. Such a language can be defined, then, without any reference to any meanings of any of its expressions; it can exist before any interpretation is assigned to it—that is, before it has any meaning. A formal grammar determines which symbols and sets of symbols are formulas in a formal language. Formal systems A ''formal system'' (also called a ''logical calculus'', or a ''logical system'') consists of a formal language together with a deductive appara ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quantification (logic)
In logic, a quantifier is an operator that specifies how many individuals in the domain of discourse satisfy an open formula. For instance, the universal quantifier \forall in the first-order formula \forall x P(x) expresses that everything in the domain satisfies the property denoted by P. On the other hand, the existential quantifier \exists in the formula \exists x P(x) expresses that there exists something in the domain which satisfies that property. A formula where a quantifier takes widest scope is called a quantified formula. A quantified formula must contain a bound variable and a subformula specifying a property of the referent of that variable. The most commonly used quantifiers are \forall and \exists. These quantifiers are standardly defined as duals; in classical logic: each can be defined in terms of the other using negation. They can also be used to define more complex quantifiers, as in the formula \neg \exists x P(x) which expresses that nothing ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Existential Quantification
Existentialism is a family of philosophy, philosophical views and inquiry that explore the human individual's struggle to lead an Authenticity (philosophy), authentic life despite the apparent Absurdity#The Absurd, absurdity or incomprehensibility of existence. In examining meaning of life, meaning, purpose, and value (ethics), value, existentialist thought often includes concepts such as existential crisis, existential crises, Angst#Existentialist angst, angst, courage, and freedom. Existentialism is associated with several 19th- and 20th-century European philosophers who shared an emphasis on the human subject, despite often profound differences in thought. Among the 19th-century figures now associated with existentialism are philosophers Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche, as well as novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky, all of whom critiqued rationalism and concerned themselves with the problem of meaning (philosophy), meaning. The word ''existentialism'', however, was not coin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Atomic Formula
In mathematical logic, an atomic formula (also known as an atom or a prime formula) is a formula with no deeper propositional structure, that is, a formula that contains no logical connectives or equivalently a formula that has no strict subformulas. Atoms are thus the simplest well-formed formulas of the logic. Compound formulas are formed by combining the atomic formulas using the logical connectives. The precise form of atomic formulas depends on the logic under consideration; for propositional logic, for example, a propositional variable is often more briefly referred to as an "atomic formula", but, more precisely, a propositional variable is not an atomic formula but a formal expression that denotes an atomic formula. For predicate logic, the atoms are predicate symbols together with their arguments, each argument being a first-order logic#Formation rules, term. In model theory, atomic formulas are merely string (computer science), strings of symbols with a given signature ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Domain Of Discourse
In the formal sciences, the domain of discourse or universe of discourse (borrowing from the mathematical concept of ''universe'') is the set of entities over which certain variables of interest in some formal treatment may range. It is also defined as the collection of objects being discussed in a specific discourse. In model-theoretical semantics, a universe of discourse is the set of entities that a model is based on. The domain of discourse is usually identified in the preliminaries, so that there is no need in the further treatment to specify each time the range of the relevant variables. Many logicians distinguish, sometimes only tacitly, between the ''domain of a science'' and the ''universe of discourse of a formalization of the science''. Etymology The concept ''universe of discourse'' was used for the first time by George Boole (1854) on page 42 of his '' Laws of Thought'': The concept, probably discovered independently by Boole in 1847, played a crucial role i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Term (logic)
In mathematical logic, a term denotes a mathematical object while a formula denotes a mathematical fact. In particular, terms appear as components of a formula. This is analogous to natural language, where a noun phrase refers to an object and a whole sentence refers to a fact. A first-order term is recursively constructed from constant symbols, variable symbols, and function symbols. An expression formed by applying a predicate symbol to an appropriate number of terms is called an atomic formula, which evaluates to true or false in bivalent logics, given an interpretation. For example, is a term built from the constant 1, the variable , and the binary function symbols and ; it is part of the atomic formula which evaluates to true for each real-numbered value of . Besides in logic, terms play important roles in universal algebra, and rewriting systems. Definition Given a set ''V'' of variable symbols, a set ''C'' of constant symbols and sets ''F''''n'' of ''n''-ary ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arity
In logic, mathematics, and computer science, arity () is the number of arguments or operands taken by a function, operation or relation. In mathematics, arity may also be called rank, but this word can have many other meanings. In logic and philosophy, arity may also be called adicity and degree. In linguistics, it is usually named valency. Examples In general, functions or operators with a given arity follow the naming conventions of ''n''-based numeral systems, such as binary and hexadecimal. A Latin prefix is combined with the -ary suffix. For example: * A nullary function takes no arguments. ** Example: f()=2 * A unary function takes one argument. ** Example: f(x)=2x * A binary function takes two arguments. ** Example: f(x,y)=2xy * A ternary function takes three arguments. ** Example: f(x,y,z)=2xyz * An ''n''-ary function takes ''n'' arguments. ** Example: f(x_1, x_2, \ldots, x_n)=2\prod_^n x_i Nullary A constant can be treated as the output of an operation o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Signature (mathematical Logic)
In logic, especially mathematical logic, a signature lists and describes the non-logical symbols of a formal language. In universal algebra, a signature lists the operations that characterize an algebraic structure. In model theory, signatures are used for both purposes. They are rarely made explicit in more philosophical treatments of logic. Definition Formally, a (single-sorted) signature can be defined as a 4-tuple \sigma = \left(S_, S_, S_, \operatorname\right), where S_ and S_ are disjoint sets not containing any other basic logical symbols, called respectively * ''function symbols'' (examples: +, \times), * ''s'' or '' predicates'' (examples: \,\leq, \, \in), * '' constant symbols'' (examples: 0, 1), and a function \operatorname : S_ \cup S_ \to \N which assigns a natural number called ''arity'' to every function or relation symbol. A function or relation symbol is called n-ary if its arity is n. Some authors define a nullary (0-ary) function symbol as ''constant symbol'', ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Standard Mathematical Order Of Operations
In mathematics and computer programming Computer programming or coding is the composition of sequences of instructions, called computer program, programs, that computers can follow to perform tasks. It involves designing and implementing algorithms, step-by-step specifications of proc ..., the order of operations is a collection of rules that reflect conventions about which operations to perform first in order to evaluate a given mathematical expression. These rules are formalized with a ranking of the operations. The rank of an operation is called its precedence, and an operation with a ''higher'' precedence is performed before operations with ''lower'' precedence. Calculators generally perform operations with the same precedence from left to right, but some programming languages and calculators adopt different conventions. For example, multiplication is granted a higher precedence than addition, and it has been this way since the introduction of modern mathematical notat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Backus–Naur Form
In computer science, Backus–Naur form (BNF, pronounced ), also known as Backus normal form, is a notation system for defining the Syntax (programming languages), syntax of Programming language, programming languages and other Formal language, formal languages, developed by John Backus and Peter Naur. It is a metasyntax for Context-free grammar, context-free grammars, providing a precise way to outline the rules of a language's structure. It has been widely used in official specifications, manuals, and textbooks on programming language theory, as well as to describe Document format, document formats, Instruction set, instruction sets, and Communication protocol, communication protocols. Over time, variations such as extended Backus–Naur form (EBNF) and augmented Backus–Naur form (ABNF) have emerged, building on the original framework with added features. Structure BNF specifications outline how symbols are combined to form syntactically valid sequences. Each BNF consists of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
