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The diagonal lemma as the formalized Grelling paradox

2006/06/17 by Gyorgy Sereny, György Serény, Sereny, Gyorgy
Computer Science · Engineering · Mathematics · #03F30 #Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization #FOS: Mathematics #Logic (math.LO) #Manufacturing Process and Optimization #math.LO #msc:03F30

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.math/0606425

3 pages

arxiv created 2006/06/17 · openalex publication_date 2006/06/17 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

Since the diagonal lemma plays a key role in the proof of the main limitative theorems of logic, its proof could shed light on the very essence of these fundamental theorems. Yet the lemma is often characterized as one of those important logical results that lack an insightful explanatory proof. By making explicit that the well-known proof of the lemma is just a straightforward translation of the Grelling paradox into first-order arithmetic, the proof can be made completely transparent.

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