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For example $F(x)$ is considered open because $x$ can be anything but then $\forall x F(x)$ is considered bound even though to my eye "can be anything" and "for all" seem kind of like saying the same thing.

What's the difference / why does it matter?

user525966
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    "$F(x)$ is open because $x$ can be anything". Yes but, IN A SPECIFIED INTERPRETATION, for some value assigned to $x$ the resulting sentence will be TRUE, for some other value FALSE. $\forall x F(x)$ is a sentence and, IN A SPECIFIED INTERPRETATION. it is either TRUE or FALSE. – Mauro ALLEGRANZA Sep 14 '18 at 12:19
  • See van Dalen, page 59 for the def of $\text {FV}(ϕ)$ i.e. the set of free variables of a predicate logic formula $\varphi$. As you can see, we have $\text {FV}(∀x_iϕ) := \text {FV}(∃x_iϕ) := \text {FV}(ϕ) \setminus { x_i }$. The $x$ in the symbol $\forall x$ is integral aprt of the symbol itself : we cannot consider it as a stand-alone variable. – Mauro ALLEGRANZA Sep 15 '18 at 12:25

2 Answers2

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$F(x)$ is open because it only gets a truth value once you decide what $x$ is.

$\forall x.F(x)$ is closed because it already has a truth value. You don't need to decide on any particular value for $x$ to ask whether $F(x)$ is true for all values.

For example $x+1=3$ is sometimes true (such as when $x$ is $2$) and sometimes false (such as when $x$ is $27$).

But $\forall x. x+1=3$ is simply false. You can't meaningfully ask whether $\forall x.x+1=3$ is true or not when $x$ is $27$, because the truth value of $\forall x.x+1=3$ does not depend on any external mechanism to supply a value for $x$. In particular you cannot make $\forall x.x+1=3$ become true by declaring that $x$ is $2$, because the formula itself specifies what it means by $x$.

4

True or false?

$$\forall x. x+1 > x$$

"True, of course. There is no counter example."

True or false?

$$\forall x. x\ge 0$$

"False, of course. $x$ could be $-17$, which is a counter example."

True or false?

$$x\ge 0$$

"How should I know? You didn't say what $x$ is."

MJD
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