Illegal Herbrand Logic sentence

The name of the pictureThe name of the pictureThe name of the pictureClash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP











up vote
2
down vote

favorite












I am studying the Stanford Introduction to Logic course. There was a problem about whether an expression is legal sentence of Herbrand Logic or not. It asks:




Say whether $p(f(p(a))$ is a syntactically legal sentence of Herbrand Logic. Assume that $a$ and $b$ are object constants, $f$ is a unary function constant, and $p$ is a unary relation constant.




The answer was 'illegal', but I don't understand why it's illegal. I suspect $p(a)$ might not be a term so that it cannot be applied to $f$, but I'm not sure. Why is the expression illegal?



(link to the problem: http://intrologic.stanford.edu/notes/chapter_09.html)







share|cite|improve this question

















  • 2




    Your suspicion is almost correct; $p(a)$ is not a term, so $f$ cannot be applied to it.
    – Andreas Blass
    Jul 24 at 13:08










  • @AndreasBlass Thank you!!
    – JSong
    Jul 25 at 2:02














up vote
2
down vote

favorite












I am studying the Stanford Introduction to Logic course. There was a problem about whether an expression is legal sentence of Herbrand Logic or not. It asks:




Say whether $p(f(p(a))$ is a syntactically legal sentence of Herbrand Logic. Assume that $a$ and $b$ are object constants, $f$ is a unary function constant, and $p$ is a unary relation constant.




The answer was 'illegal', but I don't understand why it's illegal. I suspect $p(a)$ might not be a term so that it cannot be applied to $f$, but I'm not sure. Why is the expression illegal?



(link to the problem: http://intrologic.stanford.edu/notes/chapter_09.html)







share|cite|improve this question

















  • 2




    Your suspicion is almost correct; $p(a)$ is not a term, so $f$ cannot be applied to it.
    – Andreas Blass
    Jul 24 at 13:08










  • @AndreasBlass Thank you!!
    – JSong
    Jul 25 at 2:02












up vote
2
down vote

favorite









up vote
2
down vote

favorite











I am studying the Stanford Introduction to Logic course. There was a problem about whether an expression is legal sentence of Herbrand Logic or not. It asks:




Say whether $p(f(p(a))$ is a syntactically legal sentence of Herbrand Logic. Assume that $a$ and $b$ are object constants, $f$ is a unary function constant, and $p$ is a unary relation constant.




The answer was 'illegal', but I don't understand why it's illegal. I suspect $p(a)$ might not be a term so that it cannot be applied to $f$, but I'm not sure. Why is the expression illegal?



(link to the problem: http://intrologic.stanford.edu/notes/chapter_09.html)







share|cite|improve this question













I am studying the Stanford Introduction to Logic course. There was a problem about whether an expression is legal sentence of Herbrand Logic or not. It asks:




Say whether $p(f(p(a))$ is a syntactically legal sentence of Herbrand Logic. Assume that $a$ and $b$ are object constants, $f$ is a unary function constant, and $p$ is a unary relation constant.




The answer was 'illegal', but I don't understand why it's illegal. I suspect $p(a)$ might not be a term so that it cannot be applied to $f$, but I'm not sure. Why is the expression illegal?



(link to the problem: http://intrologic.stanford.edu/notes/chapter_09.html)









share|cite|improve this question












share|cite|improve this question




share|cite|improve this question








edited Jul 24 at 15:39









Taroccoesbrocco

3,45441431




3,45441431









asked Jul 24 at 10:20









JSong

1283




1283







  • 2




    Your suspicion is almost correct; $p(a)$ is not a term, so $f$ cannot be applied to it.
    – Andreas Blass
    Jul 24 at 13:08










  • @AndreasBlass Thank you!!
    – JSong
    Jul 25 at 2:02












  • 2




    Your suspicion is almost correct; $p(a)$ is not a term, so $f$ cannot be applied to it.
    – Andreas Blass
    Jul 24 at 13:08










  • @AndreasBlass Thank you!!
    – JSong
    Jul 25 at 2:02







2




2




Your suspicion is almost correct; $p(a)$ is not a term, so $f$ cannot be applied to it.
– Andreas Blass
Jul 24 at 13:08




Your suspicion is almost correct; $p(a)$ is not a term, so $f$ cannot be applied to it.
– Andreas Blass
Jul 24 at 13:08












@AndreasBlass Thank you!!
– JSong
Jul 25 at 2:02




@AndreasBlass Thank you!!
– JSong
Jul 25 at 2:02















active

oldest

votes











Your Answer




StackExchange.ifUsing("editor", function ()
return StackExchange.using("mathjaxEditing", function ()
StackExchange.MarkdownEditor.creationCallbacks.add(function (editor, postfix)
StackExchange.mathjaxEditing.prepareWmdForMathJax(editor, postfix, [["$", "$"], ["\\(","\\)"]]);
);
);
, "mathjax-editing");

StackExchange.ready(function()
var channelOptions =
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "69"
;
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function()
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled)
StackExchange.using("snippets", function()
createEditor();
);

else
createEditor();

);

function createEditor()
StackExchange.prepareEditor(
heartbeatType: 'answer',
convertImagesToLinks: true,
noModals: false,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: 10,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
);



);








 

draft saved


draft discarded


















StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fmath.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f2861189%2fillegal-herbrand-logic-sentence%23new-answer', 'question_page');

);

Post as a guest



































active

oldest

votes













active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes










 

draft saved


draft discarded


























 


draft saved


draft discarded














StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fmath.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f2861189%2fillegal-herbrand-logic-sentence%23new-answer', 'question_page');

);

Post as a guest













































































Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What is the equation of a 3D cone with generalised tilt?

Color the edges and diagonals of a regular polygon

Relationship between determinant of matrix and determinant of adjoint?