A modal theory Z using the Guaspari witness comparison signs $\leq, is developed. The theory Z is similar to, but weaker than, the theory R of Guaspari and Solovay. Nevertheless, Z proves the independence of the Rosser fixed-point. A Kripke semantics for Z is presented and some arithmetical interpretations of Z are investigated. Then Z is enriched to ZI by adding a new modality sign for interpretability and by axioms expressing some facts about interpretability of theories. Two arithmetical interpretations of (...) ZI are presented. The proofs of the validity of the axioms of ZI in arithmetical interpretations use some strengthening of Solovay's result about interpretability in Godel-Bernays set theory. (shrink)

The Unprovability of Consistency is concerned with connections between two branches of logic: proof theory and modal logic. Modal logic is the study of the principles that govern the concepts of necessity and possibility; proof theory is, in part, the study of those that govern provability and consistency. In this book, George Boolos looks at the principles of provability from the standpoint of modal logic. In doing so, he provides two perspectives on a debate in modal logic that has persisted (...) for at least thirty years between the followers of C. I. Lewis and W. V. O. Quine. The author employs semantic methods developed by Saul Kripke in his analysis of modal logical systems. The book will be of interest to advanced undergraduate and graduate students in logic, mathematics and philosophy, as well as to specialists in those fields. (shrink)

In this paper the system IL for relative interpretability is studied.