The concepts of binary constraint satisfaction problems can be naturally generalized to the relation algebras of Tarski. The concept of path-consistency plays a central role. Algorithms for path-consistency can be implemented on matrices of relations and on matrices of elements from a relation algebra. We give an example of a 4-by-4 matrix of infinite relations on which no iterative local path-consistency algorithm terminates. We give a class of examples over a fixed finite algebra on which all iterative local algorithms, whether parallel or sequential, must take quadratic time. Specific relation algebras arising from interval constraint problems are also studied: the Interval Algebra, the Point Algebra, and the Containment Algebra. 1 Introduction The logical study of binary relations is classical [8], [9], [51], [52], [56], [53], [54]. Following this tradition, Tarski formulated the theory of binary relations as an algebraic theory called relation algebra [59] 1 . Constraint satis...

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This investigation concerns representations of time by means of intervals, stemming from work of Allen [All83] and van Benthem [vBen83]. Allen described an Interval Calculus of thirteen binary relations on convex intervals over a linear order (the real numbers). He gave a practical algorithm for checking the consistency of a subclass of Boolean constraints. First, we describe a completeness theorem for Allen's calculus, in its corresponding formulation as a first-order theory LM . LM is countably categorical, and axiomatises the complete theory of intervals over a dense unbounded linear order. Its only countable model up to isomorphism is the non-trivial intervals over the rational numbers. Algorithms are given for quantifer-elimination, consistency checking, and satisfaction of arbitrary first-order formulas in the Interval Calculus. A natural countable model of the calculus is presented, the TUS , in which clock- and calendar-time may be represented in a straightforward way. Allen an...

We consider the problem of finding and classifying representations in algebraic logic. This is approached by letting two players build a representation using a game. Homogeneous and universal representations are characterised according to the outcome of certain games. The Lyndon conditions defining representable relation algebras (for the finite case) and a similar schema for cylindric algebras are derived. Countable relation algebras with homogeneous representations are characterised by first order formulas. Equivalence games are defined, and are used to establish whether an algebra is !-categorical. We have a simple proof that the perfect extension of a representable relation algebra is completely representable. An important open problem from algebraic logic is addressed by devising another twoplayer game, and using it to derive equational axiomatisations for the classes of all representable relation algebras and representable cylindric algebras. Other instances of this ap...

Fokkink and Zantema ((1994) Computer Journal 37:259–267) have shown that bisimulation equivalence has a finite equational axiomatization over the language of Basic Process Algebra with the binary Kleene star operation (BPA ∗). In the light of this positive result on the mathematical tractability of bisimulation equivalence over BPA ∗ , a natural question to ask is whether any other (pre)congruence relation in van Glabbeek’s linear time/branching time spectrum is finitely (in)equationally axiomatizable over it. In this paper, we prove that, unlike bisimulation equivalence, none of the preorders and equivalences in van Glabbeek’s linear time/branching time spectrum, whose discriminating power lies in between that of ready simulation and that of completed traces, has a finite equational axiomatization. This we achieve by exhibiting a family of (in)equivalences that holds in ready simulation semantics, the finest semantics that we consider, whose instances cannot all be proven by means of any finite set of (in)equations

A boolean algebra is shown to be completely representable if and only if it is atomic, whereas it is shown that neither the class of completely representable relation algebras nor the class of completely representable cylindric algebras of any fixed dimension (at least 3) are elementary.

. We describe an implementation of the Display Logic calculus for relation algebra as an Isabelle theory. Our implementation is the first mechanisation of any display calculus, but also provides a useful interactive proof assistant for relation algebra. The inference rules of Display Logic are coded directly as Isabelle theorems, thereby guaranteeing the correctness of all derivations. We describe various tactics and derived rules developed for simplifying proof search, including an automatic cutelimination procedure, and example theorems proved using Isabelle. We show how some relation algebraic theorems proved using our system can be put in the form of structural rules of Display Logic, facilitating later re-use. We then show how the implementation can be used to prove results comparing alternative formalizations of relation algebra from a proof-theoretic perspective. Keywords: logical frameworks, higher-order logic, relation algebra, display logic 1 Introduction Relation algebras a...

We study algebras whose elements are relations, and the operations are natural "manipulations" of relations. This area goes back to 140 years ago to works of De Morgan, Peirce, Schroder (who expanded the Boolean tradition with extra operators to handle algebras of binary relations). Well known examples of algebras of relations are the varieties RCAn of cylindric algebras of n-ary relations, RPEAn of polyadic equality algebras of n-ary relations, and RRA of binary relations with composition. We prove that any axiomatization, say E, of RCAn has to be very complex in the following sense: for every natural number k there is an equation in E containing more than k distinct variables and all the operation symbols, if 2 ! n ! !. Completely analogous statement holds for the case n !. This improves Monk's famous non-finitizability theorem for which we give here a simple proof. We prove analogous nonfinitizability properties of the larger varieties SNrnCA n+k . We prove that the complementa...

Introduction The combined investigation of mathematical logic and relativity theory is not at all new, as follows. Direction (1): Already at the beginnings, i.e. around 1920, Einstein's friend Reichenbach set to himself the goal of building up relativity as a logical theory, i.e. a theory purely in rst-order logic, cf. [30]. Similarly, Carnap [8, 9] pursued and advocated the same goal using a more sophisticated version of mathematical logic. De nability theory, one of the most important branches of modern logic, was brought to existence in the relativity book [30] because of the special needs of relativity theory. (This eld reached maturity via extensive work by Tarski on de nability as indicated in the dissertation.) Direction (2): The foundations of logic presuppose a kind of world-view (Weltanschaung) which has an eect on the \structure" of the theory of logic. In this sense the latest developments of relativity and related areas (e.g. Godel space-time, Kerr space-time) provid

We study relation algebras with n-dimensional relational bases in the sense of Maddux. Fix n with 3 n !. Write Bn for the class of non-associative algebras with an n- dimensional relational basis, and RAn for the variety generated by Bn . We de ne a notion of representation for algebras in RAn , and use it to give an explicit (hence recursive) equational axiomatisation of RAn , and to reprove Maddux's result that RAn is canonical. We show that the algebras in Bn are precisely those that have a complete representation. Then we prove that whenever 4 n < l !, RA l is not nitely axiomatisable over RAn . This con rms a conjecture of Maddux. We also prove that Bn is elementary for n = 3; 4 only.