An Ehrenfeucht-Fraïssé game

first-order-logiclogic

Let $\sigma = \{E \}$ be a signature with a binary relation symbol $E$. The $\sigma-$ structures $\mathcal{A}$ and $\mathcal{B}$ are given as follows:

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$(i)$ Show that the duplicator wins the game $\mathfrak{G}_2(\mathcal{A}, \mathcal{B})$.

$(ii)$ Give a formula $\varphi \in FO[\sigma]$ with minimal quantifier rank, such that $\mathcal{A} \models \varphi$ and $\mathcal{B} \not\models \varphi$.

For $(i)$, I don't see how the duplicator can win in round two. For example, if the spoiler picks the vertex $c$, then the duplicator has to pick a vertex in $\mathcal{A}$ which also has two outgoing edges, but no such vertex exists. What am I missing here?

$(ii) \forall x \forall y \forall z (E(x, y) \land y \neq z \land x \neq y \rightarrow \lnot E(x, z))$

Here I'm saying that every vertex has at most one outgoing edge.

What do you think of my answers?

Best Answer

Re: $(i)$, you write:

if the spoiler picks the vertex $c$, then the duplicator has to pick a vertex in $\mathcal{A}$ which also has two outgoing edges.

But that's not true. Remember that Duplicator wins if, at the end of the game, the atomic types of the tuples built are the same. For example, if Spoiler picks $c$, Duplicator picks $4$, Spoiler picks $a$, and Duplicator picks $3$, Duplicator will win the play. We don't check at the end of a play of the Ehrenfeucht-Fraisse game that the tuples built have matching out- (or in-)degrees.

In fact, there is very little Spoiler can do in two moves.

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