Past exam of the model theory and Gödel's incompleteness theorems course of the University of Oxford / 2007 / A / 2 / b

Write $H(\vec{v})$ for the proposed stage-comparison logical formula and fix a standard tuple $\vec{a}$. If $\vec{a}\in A$, numeralwise enumeration in arithmetic supplies a standard $m$ with $S⊢F(\overline{\stackrel{⃗}{a}},\bar{m})$. Disjointness gives $\vec{a}\notin B$, so $S⊢\neg G(\overline{\stackrel{⃗}{a}},\bar{j})$ for every standard $j$, in particular $j=0,\dots ,m$. The source's finite initial-segment axiom combines this finite list intoUse $\bar{m}$ as the existential witness to obtain $S⊢H(\overline{\stackrel{⃗}{a}})$.

If instead $\vec{a}\in B$, choose $n$ with $S⊢G(\overline{\stackrel{⃗}{a}},\bar{n})$. Disjointness gives refutations of $F(\overline{\stackrel{⃗}{a}},\bar{j})$ for all $j$, so the finitely many $j\le n$ giveFor an arbitrary $x$, the source's comparison axiom gives $x\le \bar{n}$ or $\bar{n}\le x$. In the first case the first conjunct of the proposed witness condition is false. In the second case $y=\bar{n}$ witnesses failure of its bounded universal conjunct, since $G(\overline{\stackrel{⃗}{a}},\bar{n})$ is provable. Generalization over $x$ therefore gives $S⊢\neg H(\overline{\stackrel{⃗}{a}})$.

Thus the logical formula separates $A$ from $B$. The formal proof uses the enumerators' numeralwise positive and negative formal proof properties and the two explicit order principles supplied in the source; it does not assume the first-order theory can decide arbitrary unbounded existential logical formulas.