Notre Dame Journal of Formal Logic

On the Inconsistency of Mumma's Eu

Nathaniel Miller
Source: Notre Dame J. Formal Logic Volume 53, Number 1 (2012), 27-52.

Abstract

In several articles, Mumma has presented a formal diagrammatic system Eu meant to give an account of one way in which Euclid's use of diagrams in the Elements could be formalized. However, largely because of the way in which it tries to limit case analysis, this system ends up being inconsistent, as shown here. Eu also suffers from several other problems: it is unable to prove several wide classes of correct geometric claims and contains a construction rule that is probably computationally intractable and that may not even be decidable.

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Primary Subjects: 03A05
Secondary Subjects: 03B30, 51M99
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Links and Identifiers

Permanent link to this document: http://projecteuclid.org/euclid.ndjfl/1336586236
Digital Object Identifier: doi:10.1215/00294527-1626509
Zentralblatt MATH identifier: 06040393
Mathematical Reviews number (MathSciNet): MR2925267

References

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Digital Object Identifier: doi:10.1007/s11229-009-9509-9

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Notre Dame Journal of Formal Logic

Notre Dame Journal of Formal Logic

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