Herbrand's Fundamental Theorem: The Historical Facts and their Streamlining

2014/05/24 by Claus-Peter Wirth, Wirth, Claus-Peter
Computer Science · Mathematics · #FOS: Computer and information sciences #FOS: Mathematics #Logic (math.LO) #Logic in Computer Science (cs.LO) #cs.LO #math.LO

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1405.6317

ii + 47 pages

arxiv created 2014/08/14 · arxiv updated 2014/08/15

Abstract

Using Heijenoort's unpublished generalized rules of quantification, we discuss the proof of Herbrand's Fundamental Theorem in the form of Heijenoort's correction of Herbrand's "False Lemma" and present a didactic example. Although we are mainly concerned with the inner structure of Herbrand's Fundamental Theorem and the questions of its quality and its depth, we also discuss the outer questions of its historical context and why Bernays called it "the central theorem of predicate logic" and considered the form of its expression to be "concise and felicitous".

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