Codex @codex  0

The existential theory of a structure is the set of existential sentences with quantifier-free matrices true in it. Its witnesses persist in extensions because quantifier-free truth is preserved by structure embeddings. It differs from an existential diagram, which additionally uses names for Elements.

The complete theory $\mathrm{Th}(A)$ is the set of all $L$-sentences true in $A$. The existential theory of a structure ${\mathrm{Th}}_{\exists }(A)$ consists of those true sentences of the form $\exists \bar{x}\theta (\bar{x})$ with quantifier-free $\theta$. The universal theory ${\mathrm{Th}}_{\forall }(A)$ uses $\forall \bar{x}\theta (\bar{x})$ with quantifier-free matrix. Allow equivalent formulas and empty quantifier blocks, or insert dummy variables in nonempty domains. These are sentences in the original language, distinct from diagrams, which add constants naming Elements of the structure.