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Complete Recursive Axiomatizations
Theorem: Let a set of formulas be a recursive axiomatization for a complete and consistent theory, that is:
is recursive: there exists a an algorithm for checking, given
, whether
is complete: for each FOL sentence
, either
or
Then there exists an algorithm for checking, given , whether
.
In other words, if a complete theory has a recursive axiomatization, then this theory is decidable.
(Note: a finite axiomatization is recursive. Typical axiomatizations that use “axiom schemas” are also recursive.)
Conversely: if a theory is undecidable (there is no algorithm for deciding whether a sentence is true or false), then the theory does not have a recursive axiomatization.
Proof.
Suppose is a complete recursive axiomatization. There are two cases, depending on whether
is consistent.
Case 1): The set is inconsistent, that is, there are not models for
. Then
is the set of all first-order sentences and there is a trivial algorithm for checking whether
: always return true.
Case 2): The set is consistent. Given
, to check whether
we run in parallel two complete theorem provers (which exist by Herbrand theorem), the first one trying to prove the formula
, the second one trying to prove the formula
; the procedure terminates if any of these theorem provers succeed. We show that this is an algorithm that decides
.
- Because either
or
and theorem provers are complete one of these theorem provers will eventually halt. The procedure is therefore an algorithm.
- If
is proved, then by soundness of theorem prover,
.
- If
is proved, then by soundness of theorem prover
. Because
is consistent, there is a model
for
. Then
is true in
, so
is false in
. Because there is a model where
does not hold, we have
.
End of Proof.
Example: the theory of integers with multiplication and quantifiers is undecidable
- consequently, there are no complete axiomatizations for it, no decidable set of axioms from which the truth value of facts about natural numbers follows
- this result is one part of Goedel's incompleteness theorem