This note explores the common core of constructive, intuitionistic, recursive and classical analysis from an axiomatic standpoint. In addition to clarifying the relation between Kleene’s and Troelstra’s minimal formal theories of numbers and number-theoretic sequences, we propose some modified choice principles and other function existence axioms which may be of use in reverse constructive analysis. Specifically, we consider the function comprehension principles assumed by the two minimal theories EL and M, introduce an axiom schema CFd asserting that every decidable property (...) of numbers has a characteristic function, and use it to describe a precise relationship between the minimal theories. We show that the axiom schema AC00 of countable choice can be decomposed into a monotone choice schema AC00m (which guarantees that every Cauchy sequence has a modulus) and a bounded choice schema BC00. We relate various (classically correct) axiom schemas of continuous choice to versions of the bar and fan theorems, suggest a constructive choice schema AC1/2,0 (which incidentally guarantees that every continuous function has a modulus of continuity), and observe a constructive equivalence between restricted versions of the fan theorem and correspondingly restricted bounding axioms \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$${AB_{1/2,0}^{2^{\mathbb{n}}}}$$\end{document}. We also introduce a version WKL!! of Weak König’s Lemma with uniqueness which is intermediate in strength between WKL and the decidable fan theorem FTd. (shrink)

Classically, weak König's lemma and Brouwer's fan theorem for detachable bars are equivalent. We give a direct constructive proof that the former implies the latter.

We provide a fine‐grained analysis on the relation between König's lemma, weak König's lemma, and the decidable fan theorem in the context of constructive reverse mathematics. In particular, we show that double negated variants of König's lemma and weak König's lemma are equivalent to double negated variants of the general decidable fan theorem and the binary decidable fan theorem, respectively, over a nearly intuitionistic system containing a weak countable choice only. This implies that the general decidable fan theorem is not (...) equivalent to the binary decidable fan theorem in the absence of a strong countable choice. In addition, we introduce a principle which fills the gap between König's lemma and weak König's lemma, and show that König's lemma is equivalent to weak König's lemma plus this principle. We also solve several problems arising from the investigation. (shrink)

The so-called weak König's lemma WKL asserts the existence of an infinite path b in any infinite binary tree . Based on this principle one can formulate subsystems of higher-order arithmetic which allow to carry out very substantial parts of classical mathematics but are Π 2 0 -conservative over primitive recursive arithmetic PRA . In Kohlenbach 1239–1273) we established such conservation results relative to finite type extensions PRA ω of PRA . In this setting one can consider also a uniform (...) version UWKL of WKL which asserts the existence of a functional Φ which selects uniformly in a given infinite binary tree f an infinite path Φf of that tree. This uniform version of WKL is of interest in the context of explicit mathematics as developed by S. Feferman. The elimination process in Kohlenbach [10] actually can be used to eliminate even this uniform weak König's lemma provided that PRA ω only has a quantifier-free rule of extensionality QF-ER instead of the full axioms of extensionality for all finite types. In this paper we show that in the presence of , UWKL is much stronger than WKL: whereas WKL remains to be Π 2 0 -conservative over PRA, PRA ω ++ UWKL contains full Peano arithmetic PA. We also investigate the proof–theoretic as well as the computational strength of UWKL relative to the intuitionistic variant of PRA ω both with and without the Markov principle. (shrink)

In the context of a weak formal theory called Basic Intuitionistic Mathematics $$\textsf{BIM}$$ BIM, we study Brouwer’s Fan Theorem and a strong negation of the Fan Theorem, Kleene’s Alternative (to the Fan Theorem). We prove that the Fan Theorem is equivalent to contrapositions of a number of intuitionistically accepted axioms of countable choice and that Kleene’s Alternative is equivalent to strong negations of these statements. We discuss finite and infinite games and introduce a constructively useful notion of determinacy. We prove (...) that the Fan Theorem is equivalent to the Intuitionistic Determinacy Theorem. This theorem says that every subset of Cantor space $$2^\omega $$ 2 ω is, in our constructively meaningful sense, determinate. Kleene’s Alternative is equivalent to a strong negation of a special case of this theorem. We also consider a uniform intermediate value theorem and a compactness theorem for classical propositional logic. The Fan Theorem is equivalent to each of these theorems and Kleene’s Alternative is equivalent to strong negations of them. We end with a note on ‘stronger’ Fan Theorems. The paper is a sequel to Veldman (Arch Math Logic 53:621–693, 2014). (shrink)

We will apply the methods developed in the field of ‘proof mining’ to the Bolzano-Weierstraß theorem BW and calibrate the computational contribution of using this theorem in proofs of combinatorial statements. We provide an explicit solution of the Gödel functional interpretation as well as the monotone functional interpretation of BW for the product space Πi ∈ℕ[–ki, ki] . This results in optimal program and bound extraction theorems for proofs based on fixed instances of BW, i.e. for BW applied to fixed (...) sequences in Πi ∈ℕ[–ki, ki]. (shrink)

We establish by elementary proof-theoretic means the conservativeness of two subsystems of analysis over primitive recursive arithmetic. The one subsystem was introduced by Friedman [6], the other is a strengthened version of a theory of Minc [14]; each has been shown to be of considerable interest for both mathematical practice and metamathematical investigations. The foundational significance of such conservation results is clear: they provide a direct finitist justification of the part of mathematical practice formalizable in these subsystems. The results are (...) generalized to relate a hierarchy of subsystems, all contained in the theory of arithmetic properties, to a corresponding hierarchy of fragments of arithmetic. The proof theoretic tools employed there are used to re-establish in a uniform, elementary way relationships between various fragments of arithmetic due to Parsons, Paris and Kirby, and Friedman. (shrink)

This paper addresses the strength of Ramsey's theorem for pairs ($RT^2_2$) over a weak base theory from the perspective of 'proof mining'. Let $RT^{2-}_2$ denote Ramsey's theorem for pairs where the coloring is given by an explicit term involving only numeric variables. We add this principle to a weak base theory that includes weak König's Lemma and a substantial amount of $\Sigma^0_1$-induction (enough to prove the totality of all primitive recursive functions but not of all primitive recursive functionals). In the (...) resulting theory we show the extractability of primitive recursive programs and uniform bounds from proofs of $\forall\exists$-theorems. There are two components of this work. The first component is a general proof-theoretic result, due to the second author, that establishes conservation results for restricted principles of choice and comprehension over primitive recursive arithmetic PRA as well as a method for the extraction of primitive recursive bounds from proofs based on such principles. The second component is the main novelty of the paper: it is shown that a proof of Ramsey's theorem due to Erdős and Rado can be formalized using these restricted principles. So from the perspective of proof unwinding the computational content of concrete proofs based on $RT^2_2$ the computational complexity will, in most practical cases, not go beyond primitive recursive complexity. This even is the case when the theorem to be proved has function parameters f and the proof uses instances of $RT^2_2$ that are primitive recursive in f. (shrink)

In view of an enhancement of our implementation on the computer, we explore the possibility of an algorithmic optimization of the various proof-theoretic techniques employed by Kohlenbach for the synthesis of new effective uniform bounds out of established qualitative proofs in Numerical Functional Analysis. Concretely, we prove that the method of “colouring” some of the quantifiers as “non-computational” extends well to ε-arithmetization, elimination-of-extensionality and model-interpretation.

It is well known by now that large parts of mathematical reasoning can be carried out in systems which are conservative over primitive recursive arithmetic PRA . On the other hand there are principles S of elementary analysis which are known to be equivalent to arithmetical comprehension and therefore go far beyond the strength of PRA . In this paper we determine precisely the arithmetical and computational strength of weaker function parameter-free schematic versions S− of S, thereby exhibiting different levels (...) of strength between these principles as well as a sharp borderline between fragments of analysis which are still conservative over PRA and extensions which just go beyond the strength of PRA. (shrink)

Kohlenbach, U., Effective moduli from ineffective uniqueness proofs. An unwinding of de La Vallée Poussin's proof for Chebycheff approximation, Annals of Pure and Applied Logic 64 27–94.We consider uniqueness theorems in classical analysis having the form u ε U, v1, v2 ε Vu = 0 = G→v 1 = v2), where U, V are complete separable metric spaces, Vu is compact in V and G:U x V → is a constructive function.If is proved by arithmetical means from analytical assumptions x (...) εXy ε Yx z ε Z = 0) only , then we can extract from the proof of → an effective modulus of uniqueness, which depends on u, k but not on v1,v2, i.e., u ε U, v1, v2 ε Vu, k εG, G 2-φuk→dv2-itk). Such a modulus φ can e.g. be used to give a finite algorithm which computes the zero of G on Vu with prescribed precision if it exists classically.The extraction of φ uses a proof-theoretic combination of functional interpretation and pointwise majorization. If the proof of → uses only simple instances of induction, then φ is a simple mathematical operation. (shrink)