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$\newcommand{L}{\mathcal{L}} \newcommand{A}{\mathcal{A}} \newcommand{Trm}{\operatorname{Trm}} \newcommand{Frm}{\operatorname{Frm}}$

I am reading the first order logic (FOL) section in the Open Logic Project book, and I have three questions which are boldened below. So far, I have read up to where they have defined the syntax for a FOL: it consists of a set of logical symbols, non-logical symbols, and punctuation symbols.

The logical symbols are:

  1. The logical connectives: $\neg, \land, \lor, \to, \leftrightarrow, \forall, \exists$
  2. The true and false constants: $\top$ and $\bot$, respectively.
  3. The 2-place identity predicate: $=$
  4. A countable set of variables: $v_0, v_1, v_2, \dots$

The non-logical symbols are:

  1. For each positive integer $n$, a countable set of $n$-place predicates $A_0^n, A_1^n, A_2^n, \dots$
  2. A countable set of constants $c_0, c_1, c_2, \dots$
  3. For each positive integer $n$, a countable set of $n$-place functions $f_0^n, f_1^n, f_2^n, \dots$

The punctuation symbols (which I separate with ${\color{red},}$ for clarity) are $({\color{red},} ){\color{red},} ,$

Question #1: Is it true that the logical symbols are common to all FOLs (and hence is a requirement for a language to be considered a FOL) and the non-logical symbols are up to a particular FOL's choosing (in which case, the non-logical symbols specified above are those of the standard first-order language's)?

Once a first order language $\L$ is specified, one inductively defines the set of terms $\Trm(\L)$ and (well-formed) formulas $\Frm(\L)$ of the language. Specifically, a term is defined by:

  1. Every variable in $\L$ is a term of $\L$.
  2. Every constant in $\L$ is a term of $\L$.
  3. If $f$ is an $n$-place function of $\L$ and $t_1, \dots, t_n$ are terms of $\L$, then $f(t_1, \dots, t_n)$ is a term of $\L$.

and a formula is defined by:

  1. $\top$ and $\bot$ are both (atomic) formulas of $\L$.
  2. If $R$ is an $n$-place predicate of $\L$ and $t_1, \dots, t_n$ are terms of $\L$, then $R(t_1, \dots, t_n)$ is a (atomic) formula of $\L$.
  3. If $t_1$ and $t_2$ are terms of $\L$, then ${=}(t_1, t_2)$ is a (atomic) formula of $\L$. It is commonly written as $t_1 = t_2$, and the same is common with other $2$-place predicates/functions.
  4. If $\varphi, \psi$ are formulas of $\L$ and $v_n$ is a variable of $\L$, then the following are all also formulas of $\L$: $\neg \varphi$, $(\varphi \land \psi)$, $(\varphi \lor \psi)$, $(\varphi \to \psi)$, $(\varphi \leftrightarrow \psi)$, $\forall x~\varphi$, $\exists x~\varphi$.

Question #2: How easily extendable are the above definitions to those of a second-order logic? Is it a matter of adding quantifying over predicates to (4) above?

Once these are defined, the following lemma is given:

Question #3: What is a property? Up until now this was never defined.

Edit: I apologize for including three questions in one post, I was not aware this was bad practice, and so I will not do this in the future. Though for the time being, I am more than happy with answers to individual questions if anyone has them.

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  • $\begingroup$ Hello, your question is not very focused. It is best to follow the practice of one question per post. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 11, 2023 at 5:31
  • $\begingroup$ Sorry, I will keep that mind in the future. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 11, 2023 at 6:39
  • $\begingroup$ Welcome to this site! $\quad$ I'd consider punctuation symbols as logical symbols, and I'm curious what the function of comma here is. $\quad$ Answer #3: On page 12, the author writes, "Informally, predicate symbols are names for properties and relations," $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 11, 2023 at 8:12
  • $\begingroup$ To 1: logical symbols are common to all first-order theories, while non-logical ones, like e.g.$\in$, are specific. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 11, 2023 at 10:09

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Ad #1: Yes, the logical symbols are common to all first-order languages. Different first-order languages have different non-logical vocabulary. It is unclear what you mean by the standard first-order language. Maybe what you have in mind is the smallest first-order language under the partial ordering of set inclusion. In this case, no, the above definition does not yield such a uniquely determined language. To obtain such a language we have to relax the cardinality conditions of the various non-logical symbols, as is typically done in standard treatments of first-order syntax. According to this treatment, the sets of constants, relation symbols and function symbols may all be empty. The uniquely determined smallest language is then the language of identity that has only $=$ as a relation symbol and neither constants nor function symbols.

Ad #2: It is straightforward to extend the definition to one for second-order languages via the addition of two clauses: The first introduces a new kind of atomic formulas, built from relation variables; the second introduces second-order quantifiers.

In more detail, we expand the logical symbols with countably many $n$-place relation variables $X^n_o, X^n_1, \ldots$, for every natural number $n>1$, and add the following syntactic clauses:

  1. $X^n_i t_1 \ldots t_n$ is a formula, if the $t_j$ are terms and $X^n_i$ is an $n$-place relation variable.
  2. $\forall X^n_i \varphi$ is a formula, if $\varphi$ is a formula and $X^n_i$ is an $n$-place relation variable.

Ad #3: As is usual in mathematics, properties are individuated extensionally, so that they may be taken to be sets or proper classes. In the case of the induction theorem, properties of terms are subsets of the set of terms. Analogously for the case of properties of formulas.

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