Fatal Heyting algebras and forcing persistent sentences (Q454370)

This paper is one of the last papers of late Leo Esakia, written jointly with Benedikt Löwe. It appeared in the volume of Studia Logica dedicated to the memory of Professor Esakia. The main result of the paper shows that a sentence \(\varphi\) in the first-order language of ZFC is forcing persistent if and only if there is a formula \(\psi\) in the language of propositional logic such that \(\varphi=H(T(\psi)\). Here, \(T\) is the Gödel translation of the intuitionistic propositional calculus HC into the modal system S4, and \(H\) is a forcing translation of S4 into ZFC. From this, it is derived that the intermediate logic KC of the weak law of excluded middle is the logic of ZFC-provable forcing persistent sentences. Finally, it is proved that the category of fatal Heyting algebras (the algebras that model the intermediate logic KC) is both a reflective and coreflective subcategory of the category of all Heyting algebras.