Local-Order-Invariant Logic on Classes of Bounded Degree

TL;DR

This paper investigates the expressive power of local-order-invariant and epsilon-invariant logics on classes of finite structures, proving collapses to first-order logic in bounded degree cases and exploring upper bounds for general structures.

Contribution

It answers key questions about the expressive power of invariant logics, showing collapses to first-order logic on bounded degree classes and establishing upper bounds for epsilon-invariant logic.

Findings

Local-order-invariant logic collapses to first-order logic on bounded degree classes.

Epsilon-invariant logic also collapses to first-order logic on bounded degree classes.

Provides upper bounds for epsilon-invariant logic on general finite structures.

Abstract

Local-order-invariant (first-order) logic is an extension of first-order logic where formulae have access to a ternary local order relation on the Gaifman graph, provided that the truth value does not depend on the specific order relation chosen. Weinstein asked a number of questions about the expressive power of order-invariant and local-order-invariant logics on classes of finite structures of bounded degree, classes of finite structures in general, and classes of locally finite structures. We answer four of his five questions, including showing that local-order-invariant logic collapses to first-order logic on classes of bounded degree. We also investigate epsilon-invariant logic. We show that epsilon-invariant logic collapses to first-order logic on classes of bounded degree by containing it in local-order-invariant logic in this setting, and we give an upper bound for epsilon-invariant logic in terms of local-order-invariant logic on general finite structures. Finally, in the process of proving these theorems, we demonstrate some principles which suggest further directions for showing upper bounds on invariant logics, including an upper bound on epsilon-invariant logic in general.