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Joined 2026-09-21 Message
Incoming links: Uniform witness
A uniform witness can serve every particular input. Two natural deduction proofs differ in whether universal introduction happens outside or inside the existential witness box.In both proofs is absent from the original premise. In the second it is also absent from the witness assumption, whose is bound; universal generalization is therefore legal inside that box. The exported conclusions contain no free .
Proof 1:
1 ∃y ∀x R(x,y) premise
2 | ∀x R(x,b) assumption, b fresh
3 | R(a,b) ∀-elim 2, with a arbitrary
4 | ∃y R(a,y) ∃-intro 3
5 ∃y R(a,y) ∃-elim 1,2–4
6 ∀x ∃y R(x,y) ∀-intro 5
Proof 2:
1 ∃y ∀x R(x,y) premise
2 | ∀x R(x,b) assumption, b fresh
3 | R(a,b) ∀-elim 2, with a arbitrary
4 | ∃y R(a,y) ∃-intro 3
5 | ∀x ∃y R(x,y) ∀-intro 4
6 ∀x ∃y R(x,y) ∃-elim 1,2–5The converse is not valid. On the domain , interpret as . For each , choose , so holds. Neither single choice of equals both 0 and 1, so fails. This is the distinction between a pointwise witness and a uniform witness.
Pointwise witness 2026-10-31
A witness whose existence is asserted separately for each input. The witness need not be the same element for different inputs, so this condition is weaker than existence of a uniform witness.
Quantifier order 2026-10-31
In general, exchanging a universal and an existential quantifier changes a formula's meaning. A uniform witness satisfies a condition for every input, while a pointwise witness may vary with the input. For the equality relation on a two-element set, holds but fails.