We investigate the proof complexity, in (extensions of) resolution and in bounded arithmetic, of the weak pigeonhole principle and of Ramsey theorem. In particular, we link the proof complexity of these two principles. Further we give lower bounds to the width of resolution proofs and to the size of (extensions of) tree-like resolution proofs of Ramsey theorem. We establish a connection between provability of WPHP in fragments of bounded arithmetic and cryptographic assumptions (the existence of one-way functions). In particular, we show that functions violating WPHP 2n n are one-way and, on the other hand, that one-way permutations give rise to functions violating PHP n+1 n , and that strongly collision-free families of hash functions give rise to functions violating WPHP 2n n (all in suitable models of bounded arithmetic). Further we formulate few problems and conjectures; in particular, on the structured PHP (introduced here) and on the unrelativised WPHP. The symbol WPHP m n...

We give combinatorial principles GIk, based on k-turn games, which are complete for the class of NP search problems provably total at the kth level T k 2 of the bounded arithmetic hierarchy and hence characterize the ∀ ˆ Σ b 1 consequences of T k 2, generalizing the results of [20]. Our argument uses a translation of first order proofs into large, uniform propositional proofs in a system in which the soundness of the rules can be witnessed by polynomial time reductions between games. We show that ∀ ˆ Σ b 1(α) conservativity of of T i+1 2 (α) over T i 2(α) already implies ∀ ˆ Σ b 1(α) conservativity of T2(α) over T i 2(α). We translate this into propositional form and give a polylogarithmic width CNF GI3 such that if GI3 has small R(log) refutations then so does any polylogarithmic width CNF which has small constant depth refutations. We prove a resolution lower bound for GI3. We use our characterization to give a sufficient condition for the totality of a relativized NP search problem to be unprovable in T i 2(α) in terms of a non-logical question about multiparty communication protocols.

A basic aim of logic is to consider what axioms are used in proving various theorems of mathematics. This thesis will be concerned with such issues applied to a particular area of mathematics: combinatorics. We will consider two widely known groups of proof methods in combinatorics, namely, probabilistic methods and methods using linear algebra. We will consider certain applications of such methods, both of which are significant to Ramsey theory. The systems we choose to work in are various theories of bounded arithmetic. For the probabilistic method, the key point is that we use the weak pigeonhole principle to simulate the probabilistic reasoning. We formalize various applications of the ordinary probabilistic method and linearity of expectations, making partial progress on the Local Lemma. In the case of linearity of expectations, we show how to eliminate the weak pigeonhole principle by simulating the derandomization technique of “conditional probabilities.” We consider linear algebra methods applied to various set system theorems. We formalize some theorems using a linear algebra principle as an extra axiom. We also show how weaker results can be attained by giving alternative proofs that avoid linear algebra, and thus also avoid the extra axiom. We formalize upper and lower Ramsey bounds. For the lower bounds, both the probabilistic methods and the linear algebra methods are used. We provide a stratification of the various Ramsey lower bounds, showing that stronger bounds can be proved in stronger theories. A natural question is whether or not the axioms used are necessary. We provide “reversals” in a few cases, showing that the principle used to prove the theorem is in fact a consequence of the theorem (over some base theory). Thus this work can be seen as a (humble) beginning in the direction of developing the Reverse Mathematics of finite combinatorics.

We show that a semantical interpretation of Herbrand's disjunctions can be used to obtain 2 independent sentences whose nature is more combinatorial than the nature of the usual consistency statements. Then we apply this method to Bounded Arithmetic and present 8 1 combinatorial sentences that characterize all 8 1 sentences provable in S 2 . We use the concept of a two player game to describe these sentences.

a formalized no-gap theorem

We study the long-standing open problem of giving ∀Σ b 1 separations for fragments of bounded arithmetic in the relativized setting. Rather than considering the usual fragments defined by the amount of induction they allow, we study Jeˇrábek’s theories for approximate counting and their subtheories. We show that the ∀Σ b 1 Herbrandized ordering principle is unprovable in a fragment of bounded arithmetic that includes the injective weak pigeonhole principle for polynomial time functions, and also in a fragment that includes the surjective weak pigeonhole principle for FP NP functions. We further give new propositional translations, in terms of random resolution refutations, for the consequences of T 1 2 augmented with the surjective weak pigeonhole principle for polynomial time functions.