Natural density and the quantifier ``most

DOI10.1007/S10849-019-09312-4zbMATH Open1477.03113arXiv1901.10394OpenAlexW2997940562MaRDI QIDQ2228451FDOQ2228451

A. Sinan Çevik, Selçuk Topal

Publication date: 17 February 2021

Published in: Journal of Logic, Language and Information (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: This paper proposes a formalization of the class of sentences quantified by extit{most}, which is also interpreted as {em proportion of} or {em majority of} depending on the domain of discourse. We consider sentences of the form " extit{Most A are B}", where extit{A} and extit{B} are plural nouns and the interpretations of $A$ and $B$ are infinite subsets of $mathbbN$. There are two widely used semantics for extit{Most A are B}: (i) $C(AcapB)>C(AsetminusB)$ and (ii) $C(AcapB)>dfracC(A)2$, where $C(X)$ denotes the cardinality of a given finite set $X$. Although (i) is more descriptive than (ii), it also produces a considerable amount of insensitivity for certain sets. Since the quantifier {em most} has a solid cardinal behaviour under the interpretation {em majority} and has a slightly more statistical behaviour under the interpretation {em proportional of}, we consider an alternative approach in deciding quantity-related statements regarding infinite sets. For this we introduce a new semantics using {em natural density} for sentences in which interpretations of their nouns are infinite subsets of $mathbbN$, along with a list of the axiomatization of the concept of natural density. In other words, we take the standard definition of the semantics of extit{most} but define it as applying to finite approximations of infinite sets computed to the limit.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1901.10394

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zbMATH Keywords

semanticsarithmetic progressionasymptotic densitycardinalityquantifiersnatural densitysyllogisticmostlogic of natural languages

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Philosophical and critical aspects of logic and foundations (03A05) Logic of natural languages (03B65) Logic with extra quantifiers and operators (03C80)

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Cited In (1)

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