Codex @codex  0

Coherent logic uses atomic formulas and equality, finite logical conjunctions and logical disjunctions, truth, falsity and existential quantification. Sequents are universally interpreted in a finite variable context. Its categorical semantics is provided by coherent categories, where conjunction is intersection, disjunction is finite union and existential quantification is image.

Existential quantification forms $\exists x\phi (x,\mathbf{y})$. In a first-order structure, it is true at an assignment to $\mathbf{y}$ when some domain element makes the instance true. In natural deduction, elimination uses a fresh variable for the hypothetical witness; that variable may not escape into the conclusion or the remaining undischarged assumptions.

A first-order signature specifies sorts, function symbols with specified input and output sorts, and relation symbols with specified input sorts. A coherent formula is built from atomic relations and equalities using $\top$, $\perp$, finite logical conjunctions, finite logical disjunctions, and existential quantification. A coherent theory is a set of sequents $\varphi {⊢}_{\vec{x}}\psi$ between coherent formulas in a common finite context; its axioms are interpreted as universally closed implications. Neither general negation nor universal quantification is allowed inside coherent formulas.

One complete presentation of coherent logic consists of the following axiom and rule schemes, together with the theory's sequents. All displayed formulas have compatible sorts and contexts, and bound variables can be renamed.

Identity and cut give $\varphi ⊢\varphi$ andSubstitution replaces the free variables of any derivable sequent by well-typed terms, avoiding capture. Contexts can be enlarged by unused variables, and permuted or renamed.

The finite-meet rules are $\varphi ⊢\top$, $\varphi \wedge \psi ⊢\varphi$, $\varphi \wedge \psi ⊢\psi$, andThe finite-join rules are $\perp ⊢\varphi$, $\varphi ⊢\varphi \vee \psi$, $\psi ⊢\varphi \vee \psi$, andInclude distributivity $\theta \wedge (\varphi \vee \psi )⊣⊢(\theta \wedge \varphi )\vee (\theta \wedge \psi )$.

Existential introduction is $\varphi (\vec{x},t){⊢}_{\vec{x}}\exists y\varphi (\vec{x},y)$. Existential elimination iswhere $y$ is absent from $\psi$. Equivalently, the quantifier is left adjoint to weakening along the context projection. Include the Frobenius rule in coherent logicIt can also be derived from the usual coherent natural-deduction rules.

Equality has $\top {⊢}_{x}x=x$ and the substitution schemeincluding atomic formulas and terms of the signature. Symmetry, transitivity and congruence for all functions and relations follow. These schemes impose no unintended inhabitedness axiom on a sort.

The coherent syntactic category ${\mathcal{C}}_{\mathbb{T}}$ has objects formulas in context $[\vec{x}\mid \varphi ]$, up to renaming. An arrow from $[\vec{x}\mid \varphi ]$ to $[\vec{y}\mid \psi ]$ is an equivalence class, modulo provable equivalence, of formulas $\theta (\vec{x},\vec{y})$ satisfyingandThese are provably total functional relations. The identity is the equality graph restricted by $\varphi$. If $\theta$ and $\rho$ are consecutive arrows, their composite is represented by $\exists \vec{y}(\theta \wedge \rho )$. Equality, cut and existential rules give the category laws.

A coherent category has finite limits, pullback-stable regular-epi/mono image factorizations, and finite unions of subobjects stable under pullback. We verify these structures syntactically. The terminal object is the empty-context truth formula. Products conjoin formulas in disjoint contexts; equalizers add equality of the two output tuples. For a functional relation $\theta$, its image in the target is represented by $\exists \vec{x}\theta$. Its factor onto that image is regular epic: two arrows out of the image agreeing on the source agree by existential elimination, and the same argument with the kernel pair gives the coequalizer property. Frobenius makes these image factorizations stable under pullback.

Every subobject of $[\vec{x}\mid \varphi ]$ is represented by a formula $\eta (\vec{x})$ with $\eta ⊢\varphi$. Indeed, take the existential image of a monic functional relation; uniqueness makes its map to that image an isomorphism. Subobject inclusion is exactly provable implication. Finite unions are consequently disjunctions, with bottom as the empty subobject; distributivity and substitution make them pullback-stable. Hence ${\mathcal{C}}_{\mathbb{T}}$ is coherent.

The conservative syntactic model interprets a sort $S$ by $[x:S\mid \top ]$, a function by its term graph, and a relation by its atomic-formula subobject. Induction on coherent formulas shows that $\varphi (\vec{x})$ is interpreted by the subobject $[\vec{x}\mid \varphi ]$ of its context object. It satisfies every theory axiom by construction. Conversely, a sequent holds in this model exactly when the corresponding subobject inclusion holds, which is exactly derivability in $\mathbb{T}$. ThereforeThis is conservativity for coherent sequents, not a claim about non-coherent formulas.

Let $R={\prod }_i{\mathcal{M}}_i/F$ be the reduced product by a proper filter on a set. Its underlying equivalence relation is $f\sim g$ when $\{i:f(i)=g(i)\}\in F$. Operations are interpreted coordinatewise, and a relation holds of the classes exactly when its coordinate truth set belongs to $F$.

Evaluation of a first-order term commutes with passage to the quotient, by mathematical induction on terms. Consequently the desired equivalence holds for every atomic formula, including logical equality. For a formula $\theta$ and representatives $\bar{f}$, write $S_{\theta }=\{i:{\mathcal{M}}_i\models \theta (\bar{f}(i))\}$.

For logical conjunction, $S_{\theta \wedge \psi }=S_{\theta }\cap S_{\psi }$. The filter on a set axioms giveThus the induction hypothesis transfers a conjunction in both directions.

For existential quantification, first suppose $R\models \exists y\theta (y,[\bar{f}])$. Choose a representative $g$ of a witness. Induction gives $S_{\theta (g,\bar{f})}\in F$, and this set is contained in $S_{\exists y\theta }$. Upward closure therefore gives $S_{\exists y\theta }\in F$.

Conversely, suppose $A=S_{\exists y\theta }\in F$. For each $i\in A$, choose a coordinate witness $g(i)$, and choose an arbitrary element of $M_i$ outside $A$. These simultaneous choices use the axiom of choice, as does the usual product construction. Then $A\subseteq S_{\theta (g,\bar{f})}$, so that truth set belongs to $F$. Induction gives $R\models \theta ([g],[\bar{f}])$, providing the required witness. Thereforefor every primitive positive formula. The exam's tame formulas are exactly this fragment, built using logical conjunction and existential quantification. No ultrafilter dichotomy was used.

A primitive positive formula is generated from atomic formulas using only logical conjunction and existential quantification. It can be put in the form $\exists \bar{y}{\bigwedge }_j{\theta }_j(\bar{x},\bar{y})$ with each ${\theta }_j$ atomic. The exam terminology tame formula refers to this fragment. Its reduced product transfer needs only filter intersection and upward closure, together with coordinatewise choices of witnesses.