Connecting abstract logics and adjunctions in the theory of ($\pi$-)institutions: some theoretical remarks and applications

Abstract

In the present work, a natural sequel to \cite{MaPi1}, we further discuss the existence of adjunctions between categories of institutions and of $\pi$-institutions. This is done at both a foundational and an applied level. Firstly, we reformulate and conceptually clarify such adjunctions in terms of the $2$-categorical data involved in the construction of categories of institution-like structures. More precisely, we remark that the process used for passing from rooms to institutions (\cite{Diac2}) can be extended, due to its $2$-functoriality, to more general room-like and institution-like structures in such a way that the aforementioned adjunctions are all seen to arise from simpler adjunctions at the room-like level. Secondly, and mostly independently, we provide some applications of such adjunctions to abstract logics, mainly to the setting of propositional logics and filter pairs (\cite{AMP1}); we also generalize the process of skolemization, a classical device from predicate logic, to the institutional setting.