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Team semantics and dependence logic

Project description

A matter of semantics: new meaning for quantum mechanics and set theory

Semantics, the relationship between words and their meaning, applies to both natural and programming languages. Tarski’s truth definition postulating the criteria of a ‘true’ sentence is fundamental to both as well. Development of semantic concepts based on this definition can be enriched using so-called team semantics, in simple language grouping assignments of variables rather than treating individual assignments. In this context, the semantic concepts of dependence and independence arise. Such teams appear naturally in various fields including the sciences and humanities. The EU-funded TEAMDEP project is extending team semantics and dependence logic with applications in quantum mechanics and set theory.

Objective

"In the traditional so-called Tarski’s Truth Definition the semantics of first order logic is defined with respect to an assignment of values to the free variables. A richer family of semantic concepts can be modelled if semantics is defined with respect to a set (a ""team"") of such assignments. This is what is called team semantics, a term coined by the PI in his 2007 monograph, and used ever since to describe this highly non-trivial modification of Tarskian semantics. Team semantics was introduced around the same time in inquisitive logic under the name state semantics. Examples of semantic concepts available in team semantics but not in traditional Tarski semantics are the concepts of dependence and independence. The PI introduced what he called dependence logic around these concepts. It appears that teams appear naturally in several areas of sciences and humanities which has made it possible to apply dependence logic and its variants to these areas. Now is the right moment to move from dependence logic to a broader explication of team semantics. This is what the TEAMDEP project proposes to do. In the TEAMDEP project we take team semantics to a new level by focusing on its hard axiomatizability questions and to its applications to the foundations of quantum mechanics and to the multiverse of set theory."

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) ERC-2020-ADG

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Host institution

HELSINGIN YLIOPISTO
Net EU contribution
€ 2 496 146,25
Address
FABIANINKATU 33
00014 Helsinki
Finland
Region
Manner-Suomi Helsinki-Uusimaa Helsinki-Uusimaa
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost
€ 2 496 146,25

Beneficiaries (1)