Easy Proofs of Löwenheim-Skolem Theorems by Means of Evaluation Games Jacques Duparc1,2 1 Department of Information, Systems Faculty of Business and Economics University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne Switzerland
[email protected] 2 Mathematics Section, School of Basic Sciences Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne Switzerland
[email protected] Abstract We propose a proof of the downward Löwenheim-Skolem that relies on strategies deriving from evaluation games instead of the Skolem normal forms. This proof is simpler, and easily under- stood by the students, although it requires, when defining the semantics of first-order logic to introduce first a few notions inherited from game theory such as the one of an evaluation game. 1998 ACM Subject Classification F.4.1 Mathematical Logic Keywords and phrases Model theory, Löwenheim-Skolem, Game Theory, Evaluation Game, First-Order Logic 1 Introduction Each mathematical logic course focuses on first-order logic. Once the basic definitions about syntax and semantics have been introduced and the notion of the cardinality of a model has been exposed, sooner or later at least a couple of hours are dedicated to the Löwenheim-Skolem theorem. This statement holds actually two different results: the downward Löwenheim-Skolem theorem (LS↓) and the upward Löwenheim-Skolem theorem (LS↑). I Theorem 1 (Downward Löwenheim-Skolem). Let L be a first-order language, T some L-theory, and κ = max{card (L) , ℵ0}. If T has a model of cardinality λ > κ, then T has a model of cardinality κ. I Theorem 2 (Upward Löwenheim-Skolem). Let L be some first-order language with equality, T some L-theory, and κ = max{card (L) , ℵ0}.