On purely relevant logics (Q1820761)

This is a continuation of the author's investigations [J. Symb. Logic 49, 334-342 (1984; Zbl 0586.03017)] of logics designed to overcome a perceived tension between extensional and intensional features of relevant logics. (This issue has been discussed frequently by relevant logicians. \textit{R. K. Meyer} and \textit{M. A. McRobbie} [Australasian J. Logic 60, 107-139 (1982)] is particularly germane. \textit{N. D. Belnap jun.} [J. Philos. Logic 11, 375-417 (1982; Zbl 0509.03008)] gives a somewhat different, but very illuminating, view of the matter.) The proposed solution here is to make a ''relevant'' conjunction (distinct from fusion, the normal relevant conjunction) out of the extensional conjunction found in relevant logics. This is effected by replacing the rule of adjunction in the systems R and RM by a rule of ''relevant adjunction'': from A implies B, A implies C to conclude A implies B and C. The resulting systems are the ''pure'' relevant logics PR and PRM, respectively. Both the implication and conjunction of these systems are shown to have the variable-sharing property: A implies B (A and B) is provable only if A and B share a variable. It is also shown that the rules of adjunction and disjunctive syllogism are ''equivalent'' in these systems: closing PR (PRM) under either of them yields R (RM). PRM is shown to have a characteristic matrix which differs from the Sugihara matrix [see \textit{J. M. Dunn}, J. Symb. Logic 35, 1-13 (1970; Zbl 0231.02024)] only in having two incomparable zeroes. Two formal, though seemingly ad hoc, definitions of the notion of two formulae being relevant to each other are given. Although PR and PRM have some interesting proof-theoretic properties relative to these definitions, it is noted that PRM also has some counterintuitive properties, e.g., either A is relevant to B, or A is relevant to C, or B is relevant to C. So the system \(PRM^*\) is introduced by weakening the distribution axiom of PRM, \(PRM^*\) has a characteristic Sugihara-type matrix with denumerably many zeroes, and implication and conjunction again have the variable- sharing property. \(PRM^*\) avoids the counterintuitive property mentioned above, but still has some others, e.g., either A is relevant to B or A and B is relevant to C.