Truth-value semantics for a logic of existence (Q2534160)

Proved strongly sound and strongly complete here is \(QC!\), a free first-order quantificational calculus with Russell's existence predicate ''\(E!\)'' as an extra primitive sign. Two different runs of letters serve as individual variables: one run -- for which the appellation ''individual variables'' is saved -- occurring only bound in the wffs of \(QC\), and one run -- called ''individual parameters'' -- occurring only free in them. To skirt distracting technicalities, universal quantifications are taken to be of the sort \((\forall X)A(X/P)\), where \(A\) is a wff, \(X\) is an individual variable foreign to \(A\), \(P\) is an individual-parameter, and \(A(X/P)\) is the result of replacing \(P\) everywhere in \(A\) by \(X\). The axioms (due to R. K. Meyer and K. Lambert) are all wffs of anyone of the following sorts: (1) \(A\), where \(A\) is a tautology, (2)\(A\supset (\forall X)\, A\), (3) \((\forall X) (A\supset B)\supset (\forall X)\,A\supset (\forall X)\,B\), (4) \((\forall X)\,A \supset (E!P \supset A(P/X))\), (5) \((\forall X)E!X\), and (6) \((\forall X)A(X/P)\), where \(A\) is an axiom. And a finite column of wffs counts as a derivation of a wff \(A\) from a set \(S\) of wffs (a proof of \(A\) when \(S\) is empty) if the column closes with \(A\) and every entry in the column belongs to \(S\), or is an axiom, or follows from two previous entries by application of Modus Ponens. Semantical matters are handled as follows. A wff \(A\) is said to be true under an assignment \(\alpha\) of truth-values to the atomic wffs (of \(QC!)\) if: (1) in case \(A\) is atomic, \(\alpha(h)=T\), (2) in case \(A\) is of the sort \(\sim B\), \(B\) is not true under \(\alpha\), (3) in case \(A\) is of the sort \(B\supset C\), \(B\) is not true under \(\alpha\) or \(C\) is, and (4) in case \(A\) is of the sort \((\forall X)\,B\), the result \(B(P/X)\) of replacing \(X\) everywhere in \(B\) by \(P\) is true under \(\alpha\) for every parameter \(P\) such that \(\alpha(E!P) =T\). And a wff \(A\) is said to be valid if \(A\) is true under every assignment of truth-values to the atomic wffs (of \(QC!)\). Implication (or semantic consequenthood) calls for some care. Where \(S\) is a set of wffs, \(\Sigma_S\) is the set of all the individual parameters that occur in members of \(S\), and \(M\) is a one-to-one mapping of \(\Sigma_S\) into the set of all individual parameters, (1) the \(M\)-image of a wff \(A\) is taken to be the result of simultaneously replacing all the individual parameters that occur in \(A\) by their respective \(M\)-images, and (2) the \(M\)-image of set \(S\) of wffs is taken to be \(S\) itself when \(S\) is \(\emptyset\), otherwise to be the set of the \(M\)-images of the various members of \(S\). Where \(S\) and \(S'\) are sets of wffs, and \(\Sigma_S\) is as above, \(S'\) is said to be isomorphic to \(S\) if \(S'\) is the \(M\)-image of \(S\) for some one-to-one mapping of \(\Sigma_S\) into the set of all individual parameters. A set \(S\) of wffs is then said to be verifiable if there is an assignment of truth-values to the atomic wffs (of \(QC!)\) under which all the members of \(S\) are true; and to imply a wff \(A\) if no set of wffs that is isomorphic to \(S\cup [\sim A]\) is verifiable. Proof that there is a derivation of \(A\) from \(S\) if \(S\) implies \(A\), is an adaptation of a familiar argument of Henkin's.