Properties of Selector Proofs

Abstract

A serial property is a suitably enumerated sequence $\{F_n\}$ of formulas and is called selector provable in PA if there is a PA-recursive function $s(x)$ such that PA $\vdash \forall x (s(x){:}_{\text{PA}} \ulcorner F_x\urcorner)$ where $x{:}_{\text{PA}} y$ is a suitable proof predicate. These notions were introduced by Artemov in his analysis of consistency and the formalisation of metamathematics. These matters aside, the notion is intimately connected with that of relative consistency. This paper will give an overview of the mathematical properties of selector proofs. Topics include: the relationship between selector proofs, ordinary provability and the omega rule, the relationship between selector proofs and relative consistency, iterated selector proofs, and the complexity of selectors.