Implicit proofs
Jan Krajı́ček · Journal of Symbolic Logic · 2004
Abstract. We describe a general method how to construct from a prepositional proof system P a possibly much stronger proof system iP. The system iP operates with exponentially long P-proofs described “implicitly” by polynomial size circuits. As an example we prove that proof system iEF, implicit EF, corresponds to bounded arithmetic theory and hence, in particular, polynomially simulates the quantified prepositional calculus G and the -consequences of proved with one use of exponentiation. Furthermore, the soundness of iEF is not provable in . An iteration of the construction yields a proof system corresponding to T2 + Exp and, in principle, to much stronger theories.