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14 votes
0 answers
654 views

Reverse Mathematics of Euclid's theorem

Euclid's theorem that there are infinitely many prime numbers has multiple proofs, ranging from Euclid's original theorem that constructs a new prime from a finite list of such, to Euler's proof that ...
David Roberts's user avatar
  • 35.5k
13 votes
3 answers
1k views

Reducing ACA₀ proof to First Order PA

According to the Wikipedia ACA0 is a conservative extension of First Order logic + PA. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_Mathematics First of all I have a few questions about the proof: a - What ...
Lucas K.'s user avatar
  • 1,659
12 votes
2 answers
973 views

Z_2 versus second-order PA

These days, Peano Arithmetic ($PA$) refers to the first-order version of the axioms, where induction is only over formulas referring to natural number variables. Peano's original version of the ...
David Roberts's user avatar
  • 35.5k
11 votes
2 answers
442 views

Are all generalized Scott sets realized as generalized standard systems?

Below, I've focused on PA when lots of other theories would do. If replacing PA with a different theory leads to a more answerable question, feel free to do so. The standard system of a nonstandard ...
Noah Schweber's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
400 views

What is the Turing degree of the monadic theory of the real line?

The monadic theory of the real line is the set of all sentences in the monadic second-order language of order which are true in $\mathbb{R}$. In this 1982 paper, Gurevich and Shelah show that true ...
Keshav Srinivasan's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
1k views

Weakest subsystems of second order arithmetic for mathematical logic

It is known that to prove completeness of first-order logic for countable languages WKL0 is enough. But, is it the weakest subsystem where one can prove it? What about the incompleteness theorems? Is ...
Marc Alcobé García's user avatar
8 votes
3 answers
2k views

Does the Feferman-Schutte analysis give a precise characterization of Predicative Second-Order Arithmetic?

A definition is called impredicative if it involves quantification over a domain that contains the thing being defined. For instance, if you define hereditary property to be a property which applies ...
Keshav Srinivasan's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
283 views

Paris-Harrington principles parametrized by functions $f:\mathbb N \to \mathbb N$

Recall that the Paris-Harrington Principle, $\mathsf{PH}$, is the statement that for each $e, r, k < \omega$ there is an $N < \omega$ so that given any coloring $c:[N]^e \to r$ there is an $H \...
Corey Bacal Switzer's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
447 views

The definition of < in Robinson's Q

I recently had to explain how the basic axioms in Simpson's Subsystems of Second Order Arithmetic were interpretable in Robinson's Q. Most of the axioms are actually the same, except that Simpson ...
François G. Dorais's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
114 views

Mathematical strength of the statement "Heyting Arithmetic admits Markov's rule"

Consider the following theorem about Heyting arithmetic (HA) For every arithmetical formula $\phi$ whose only free variable is $n$, if $\text{HA} \vdash \forall n. \phi \lor \lnot \phi$ and $\text{HA}...
Christopher King's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
377 views

Does ACA prove categoricity of the reals?

$\def\f#1{\text{#1}}$Does $\f{ACA}$ prove that any two internally complete ordered fields are isomorphic? Here internal completeness is expressed roughly as "every sequence of reals with an upper ...
user21820's user avatar
  • 2,912
4 votes
1 answer
347 views

Proving moduli of uniform continuity in RCA_0

Simpson's Subsystems of Second Order Arithmetic (pp. 134ff.) uses RCA$_0$ to prove various theorems of analysis for all continuous functions with a suitable modulus of uniform continuity. And he ...
Colin McLarty's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
123 views

Kleene normal form theorem for r.e. relations proven in arithmetical theories

After reading the relevant chapters of Classical Recursion Theory (freely available from here), I have the following questions concerning Theorem II.1.10 (Normal form theorem) and Theorem IV.1.9 (...
CBuch's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
0 answers
283 views

What is the meaning and proof of Harvey Friedman’s ultrafinite incompleteness sentence?

On page 7 of his paper “Adventures in Incompleteness”, Harvey Friedman states the following: IN ANY LONG ENOUGH SEQUENCE $x_1,...,x_n$ FROM $\{1,2,3\}$, SOME $(x_i,...,x_{2i})$ IS A SUBSEQUENCE OF ...
Keshav Srinivasan's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
160 views

Is anything known about $\Delta_n$ bounding?

For a class $\Gamma \in \{ \Sigma_n, \Pi_n, \Delta_n \}$ in the arithmetical hierarchy, we can consider the induction, bounding, and least number principles for $\Gamma$: $\mathsf{I}\Gamma$ is $\big[ ...
Jordan Barrett's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
198 views

Can $\mathsf{RCA}_0$ prove that every nonempty c.e. set $A \subseteq \mathbb{N}$ has a least element?

In other words, can $\mathsf{RCA}_0$ prove that for every function $f\colon \mathbb{N} \to \mathbb{N}$, there is $b \in \mathbb{N}$ such that $$ \exists k \in \mathbb{N},\ f(k) = b\quad \land\quad \...
Jordan Barrett's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
142 views

Does $WKL_0$ plus CON(PA+X) give a binary tree model of PA+X?

In the context of reverse mathematics $WKL_0$ is considered equivalent to Gödel's completeness theorem over $RCA_0$. Does this mean that e.g. $WKL_0$ plus the consistency statement CON(PA+X) gives a ...
Frode Alfson Bjørdal's user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
996 views

Applicability of Deduction theorem to Primitive recursive arithmetic [closed]

Hello. I already asked the question here. The main point is that I tried to prove in Primitive recursive arithmetic (PRA) the totality of the Ackerman function, and I found, that the single thing ...
eugepros's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
267 views

The "higher topology" of countable Scott sets

Fix some computable bijection $b$ between $\omega$ and $2^{<\omega}$. For $r\in 2^\omega$, let $$[r]=\{f\in 2^\omega: \forall\sigma\prec f(b^{-1}(\sigma)\in r)\}$$ be the closed subset of Cantor ...
Noah Schweber's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
148 views

Why doesn't $\mathsf{B}\Sigma_2$ hold in $\mathsf{RCA}_0$?

For a formula $\varphi(i,u)$ of arithmetic, the bounding principle for $\varphi$ is the statement $$\forall m \, \Big( \big( \forall i<m\ \exists u\ \varphi(i,u) \big) \to \big( \exists v\ \forall ...
Jordan Barrett's user avatar