PHIL1012

Syntax and Semantics of GPL

Syntax
1. The symbols of GPL are:
i names:
a, b, c, . . . , t
ii variables:
x, y, z, u, v, w
iii predicates:
A1 , B 1 , C 1 , . . . , A2 , B 2 , C 2 , . . .1
iv five connectives:
¬ ∧ ∨ → ↔
v two quantifier symbols:
∀ ∃
vi two punctuation symbols (parentheses):
( )
2. Terms are defined as follows:
i a name is a term.
ii a variable is a term.
iii nothing else is a term.
3. Wffs of PL are defined as follows:
i Where P n is any n-place predicate and t1 . . . tn are any terms, the following
is a wff:
P n t1 . . . t2
ii Where α and β are wffs and x is a variable, the following are wffs:
¬α
α∧β
α∨β
α→β
α↔β
∀xα
∃xα
iii Nothing else is a wff.
1
Strictly speaking, I 2 is not a predicate of GPL, although I 1 , I 3 , I 4 , . . . , I n are.
Semantics
1. P n a1 . . . an is true in M iff the ordered n-tuple consisting of the referents in M
of a1 through an in that order is in the extension in M of P n .

2. ¬α is true in M iff α is false in M.

3. (α ∧ β) is true in M iff α and β are both true in M.

4. (α ∨ β) is true in M iff one or both of α and β is true in M.

5. (α → β) is true in M iff α is false in M or β is true in M or both.

6. (α ↔ β) is true in M iff α and β are both true in M or both false in M .

7. ∀xα(x) is true in M iff for every object o in the domain of M, α(a/x) is true
in Moa , where a is some name that is not assigned a referent in M, and Mao is a
model just like M except that in it the name a is assigned the referent o.

8. ∃xα(x) is true in M iff there is at least one object o in the domain of M such
that α(a/x) is true in Mao , where a is some name that is not assigned a referent
in M, and Moa is a model just like M except that in it the name a is assigned the
referent o.