This note exploits back-and-forth characteristics to construct, using a single method, short proofs for ten classics of first-order and modal logic: interpolation theorems, preservation theorems, and Lindström's theorem.

We show how belief revision can be treated systematically in the format of dynamicepistemic logic, when operators of conditional belief are added. The core engine consists of definable update rules for changing plausibility relations between worlds, which have been proposed independently in the dynamic-epistemic literature on preference change. Our analysis yields two new types of modal result. First, we obtain complete logics for concrete mechanisms of belief revision, based on compositional reduction axioms. Next, we show how various abstract postulates for (...) belief revision can be analyzed by standard modal frame correspondences for model-changing operations. (shrink)

Given a class $$\mathcal {C}$$ of models, a binary relation $$\mathcal {R}$$ between models, and a model-theoretic language L, we consider the modal logic and the modal algebra of the theory of $$\mathcal {C}$$ in L where the modal operator is interpreted via $$\mathcal {R}$$. We discuss how modal theories of $$\mathcal {C}$$ and $$\mathcal {R}$$ depend on the model-theoretic language, their Kripke completeness, and expressibility of the modality inside L. We calculate such theories for the submodel and the quotient (...) relations. We prove a downward Löwenheim–Skolem theorem for first-order language expanded with the modal operator for the extension relation between models. (shrink)

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We present a number of, somewhat unusual, ways of describing what Craig’s interpolation theorem achieves, and use them to identify some open problems and further directions.

We explore the finite model theory of the characterisation theorems for modal and guarded fragments of first-order logic over transition systems and relational structures of width two. A new construction of locally acyclic bisimilar covers provides a useful analogue of the well known tree-like unravellings that can be used for the purposes of finite model theory. Together with various other finitary bisimulation respecting model transformations, and Ehrenfeucht–Fraïssé game arguments, these covers allow us to upgrade finite approximations for full bisimulation equivalence (...) towards approximations for elementary equivalence. These techniques are used to prove several ramifications of the van Benthem–Rosen characterisation theorem of basic modal logic for refinements of ordinary bisimulation equivalence, both in the sense of classical and of finite model theory. (shrink)

Analogues of Scott's isomorphism theorem, Karp's theorem as well as results on lack of compactness and strong completeness are established for infinitary propositional relevant logics. An "interpolation theorem" for the infinitary quantificational boolean logic L-infinity omega. holds. This yields a preservation result characterizing the expressive power of infinitary relevant languages with absurdity using the model-theoretic relation of relevant directed bisimulation as well as a Beth definability property.

The Ehrenfeucht–Fraïsse game for a logic usually provides an intuitive characterizarion of its expressive power while in abstract model theory, logics are compared by their expressive powers. In this paper, I explore this connection in details by proving a general Lindström theorem for logics which have certain types of Ehrenfeucht–Fraïsse games. The results generalize and uniform some known results and may be applied to get new Lindström theorems for logics.

In this paper we deal with the logic ${\cal M\kern-1pt L}_{\omega_1}$ which is the infinitary extension of propositional modal logic that has conjunctions and disjunctions only for countable sets of formulas. After introducing some basic concepts and tools from modal logic, we modify Makkai's generalization of the notion of consistency property to make it fit for modal purposes. Using this construction as a universal instrument, we prove, among other things, interpolation for ${\cal M\kern-1pt L}_{\omega_1}$ as well as preservation results for (...) universal, existential, and positive ${\cal M\kern-1pt L}_{\omega_1}$-formulas. (shrink)