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Reference: first-order inference rules

Module by: John Greiner, Phokion Kolaitis, Moshe Vardi, Matthias Felleisen

Summary: Inference rules for reasoning about first-order logic formulas.

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The following are in addition to those of propositional logic.

Table 1: Our first-order inference rules
Abbreviation Name If you know all of… …then you can infer
∀∀Intro ∀∀-introduction
φφ
yy arbitrary.
∀x. φ[y↦x]∀x.φ[y↦x]
∀∀Elim ∀∀-elimination
∀x. φ∀x.φ
tt is any term that is free to be replaced in φφ.
Domain non-empty.
φ [x↦t]φ[x↦t]
∃∃Intro ∃∃-introduction
φφ
tt is any term in φφ that is free to be replaced.
Domain non-empty.
∃x. φ[t↦x]∃x.φ[t↦x] , where tt is arbitrary
∃∃Elim ∃∃-elimination
∃x. φ∃x.φ
cc is a new constant in the proof.
cc does not occur in the proof's conclusion.
φ [x↦c]φ[x↦c]

As usual, we use φφ as a meta-variable to range over first-order WFFs. Similarly, tt is a meta-variable for first-order terms, and cc is a meta-variable for domain constants. The notation φ[v↦w]φ[v↦w] means the formula φφ but with every appropriate occurrence of vv replaced by ww.

As discussed in the lecture notes, a variable is arbitrary unless:

  • A variable is not arbitrary if it is free in (an enclosing) premise.
  • A variable is not arbitrary if it is free after applying ∃∃Elim — either as the introduced witness cc, or free anywhere else in the formula.
The usual way to introduce arbitrary variables is during ∀∀Elim (w/o later using it in ∃∃Elim).

As a detail in ∀∀Elim and ∃∃Intro, the term tt must be free to replace the variable xx in φφ. This means that it is not the case that both tt contains a variable quantified in φφ, and that xx occurs free within that quantifier. In short, the bound variable names should be kept distinct from the free variable names. Also, only free occurrences xx get replaced. The restriction in ∃∃Elim on cc being new is similar.

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