Write . For the first proof, eliminate the common witness before introducing the universal quantifier. Choose fresh and a further fresh arbitrary :
At line 5, occurs free in neither nor the witness assumption, so universal introduction is valid. At line 6, is absent from the conclusion and other open assumptions.
For the second proof, reserve arbitrary , eliminate the common witness only as far as the particular existential, close that subproof, and then generalize:
At line 5 the exported formula contains no free ; at line 6 the only open assumption contains no free . These different orders of assumption discharge both respect the eigenvariable condition.
The converse is not valid. On the domain , interpret as . Each has a witness , so holds, but no single equals both elements. Thus is false. This is precisely the distinction in quantifier order and uniform witness.
For readability write for the uninterpreted relation . In the first proof, introduce the universal quantifier inside the existential witness scope:
LineFormulaJustification
1Premise
2Assume with fresh witness name
3Universal quantifier elimination rule, 2; choose fresh arbitrary
4Existential quantifier introduction rule, 3
5Universal quantifier introduction rule, 4; is absent from open assumptions
6Existential quantifier elimination rule, 1 and 2–5
In the second proof, first close the witness scope and then generalize the arbitrary object:
LineFormulaJustification
1Premise; choose arbitrary and fresh for this premise
2Assume with fresh , also different from
3Universal quantifier elimination rule, 2
4Existential quantifier introduction rule, 3
5Existential quantifier elimination rule, 1 and 2–4
6Universal quantifier introduction rule, 5
These are distinct proof trees: the final two rule applications are interchanged, and their freshness conditions have been checked in their respective contexts. They express the quantifier order and uniform witness principle: a single witness working for every object also supplies a witness for each object individually.
The converse is not valid. In a domain interpret as equality of its arguments. Every object has a witness, namely itself, but no one object equals both 0 and 1. The premise of the converse is true and its conclusion false. The symbol is an arbitrary binary relation here; no set-membership axioms may be imposed on it without an additional premise.