We construct efficiently computable sequences of random-looking graphs that preserve properties of the canonical random graphs G(2, p(n)). We focus on first-order graph properties, namely properties that can be expressed by a formula φ in the language where variables stand for vertices and the only relations are equality and adjacency (e.g. having an isolated vertex is a first-order property ∃x...

Certain results in circuit complexity (e.g., the theorem that AC functions have low average sensitivity [5, 17]) imply the existence of winning strategies in Ehrenfeucht-Fräıssé games on pairs of random structures (e.g., ordered random graphs G = G(n, 1/2) and G = G ∪ {random edge}). Standard probabilistic methods in circuit complexity (e.g., the Switching Lemma [11] or Razborov-Smolensky Metho...

A formalism will be presented in this paper which makes it possible to realise the idea of assigning only one scope-ambiguous representation to a sentence that is ambiguous with regard to quantif ier scope. The scope de te rmina t ion resul ts in ex tending this representat ion with addit ional context and world knowledge conditions. If there is no scope determining information, the formalism c...

In this paper we present an algorithm to anchor floating quantifiers in Japanese, a language in which quantificational nouns and numeralclassifier combinations can appear separated from the noun phrase they quantify. The algorithm differentiates degree and event modifiers from nouns that quantify noun phrases. It then finds a suitable anchor for such floating quantifiers. To do this, the algori...

Given two structures G and H distinguishable in FOk (first-order logic with k variables), let Ak(G,H) denote the minimum alternation depth of a FOk formula distinguishing G from H. Let Ak(n) be the maximum value of Ak(G,H) over n-element structures. We prove the strictness of the quantifier alternation hierarchy of FO2 in a strong quantitative form, namely A2(n) > n/8−2, which is tight up to a ...

We study algorithms for the satisfiability problem for quantified Boolean formulas (QBFs), and consequences of faster algorithms for circuit complexity. • We show that satisfiability of quantified 3-CNFs with m clauses, n variables, and two quantifier blocks (one existential block and one universal) can be solved deterministically in time 2n−Ω( √ n) · poly(m). For the case of multiple quantifie...

In this note, we show that the theory of tracial von Neumann algebras does not have a model companion. This will follow from the fact that the theory of any locally universal, McDuff II1 factor does not have quantifier elimination. We also show how a positive solution to the Connes Embedding Problem implies that there can be no modelcomplete theory of II1 factors.

We show that occurrences of the universal quantifier in the left-hand side of general concept inclusions can be rewritten into EL axioms under certain circumstances. I.e., this intuitive modeling feature is available for OWL EL while retaining tractability. Furthermore, this rewriting makes it possible to reason over corresponding extensions of EL and Horn-SROIQ using standard reasoners.

Japanese dare-mo has been widely acknowledged to be an NPI, furthermore, a “strict” NPI in the sense of Giannakidou (2011) as it seems to be licensed only in an “antiveridical” environment, specifically, with a clausemate negation. However, there is a type of positive sentences in which dare-mo can appear, i.e. non-episodic sentences, which indicates that dare-mo is in fact not an NPI and its N...

There are two competing approaches to the semantics of distributive-share markers: they either universal distributive quantifiers over events or merely event-plurality markers. To address this debate, we present new conclusions based on novel experiments with Serbian transitive sentences in which marker po was attached direct object. The first investigated exhaustivity effects po, while third e...