A logical formula weakly defines a total numerical function in if, for every standard input tuple and ,
Strong definability of a numerical function additionally requires the internal uniqueness statement
Together with the positive instance, this is equivalent to proving for each standard input. The universal quantifier is the extra strength: it covers nonstandard potential outputs in first-order models of . These are the weak and strong function conventions used here. [ref]
Suppose the graph of the total function is Sigma-1. Its complement is also Sigma-1, since
Replace the graph assertion on the right by its Sigma-1 definition; existential quantifiers can be collected into one block. Bounded completeness of an arithmetic theory supplies numeralwise stage enumerators for each of these two disjoint complementary sets. Apply (b) to them. Its separating logical formula is provable exactly at the required graph tuples in the positive direction and refutable at all the other standard tuples, proving weak definability of a numerical function.
Using the graph logical formula alone would only supply positive instances from true existential witnesses; the separation construction is what supplies the negative-instance formal proofs without assuming Sigma-1 soundness or completeness for false Sigma-1 statements.
Let be the Gödel number of the diagonal first-order sentence obtained by substituting into the one-free-variable logical formula with code , with an arbitrary default value on noncodes. By the assumptions and (c), this total function has a strong defining logical formula .
For the specified , form the one-variable logical formula
Let be the Gödel number of and put . Then . Strong definability of a numerical function at this particular standard input gives
Substitution into the existential definition yields
The permitted equivalence between the source's two substitution notations identifies this with its requested fixed point. Bound variables are renamed when necessary before forming , so the substitution is capture-free. This constructs one particular first-order sentence from the code of the logical formula which applies to its own diagonal output.
Strong definability of a numerical function adds internal uniqueness of the output at every standard input tuple. Together with a proved correct instance, this says the first-order theory proves that the output logical formula is equivalent to logical equality with the correct numeral, for arbitrary potential outputs.