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First-order logics: some characterizations and closure properties

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Abstract

The characterization of the class of FO[+]-definable languages by some generating or recognizing device is still an open problem. We prove that, restricted to word bounded languages, this class coincides with the class of semilinear languages. We also study the closure properties of the classes of languages definable in FO[+1], FO[<], FO[+] and FOC[+] under the main classical operations.

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Correspondence to Carlo Mereghetti.

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This work was partially supported by the Italian MURST under the project “PRIN: Aspetti matematici e applicazioni emergenti degli automi e dei linguaggi formali: metodi probabilistici e combinatori in ambito di linguaggi formali”, and by CRUI/DAAD under the project “Programma Vigoni: Reducing complexity by introducing structure”.

A preliminary version has been published in the Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Language and Automata Theory and Applications (LATA 2010).

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Choffrut, C., Malcher, A., Mereghetti, C. et al. First-order logics: some characterizations and closure properties. Acta Informatica 49, 225–248 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00236-012-0157-z

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