Existential quantification

An existence theorem is a statement or assertion to the effect that at least one object ( element, individual, event ) of a particular subject area has a certain property, namely that the affected property applies to at least one object.

An example of an existential statement is the sentence "In Berlin there are at least a tuberculosis sufferers. "

Modern existence statements are also referred to as existence theorems, Existenzialaussagen or existenz-/existentialquantifizierte sets. In traditional logic existential statements are referred to as particular judgments - see categorical judgment.

The logical properties of existential statements are modern in predicate logic and have traditionally been treated as particulate affirmative and negative judgments in the syllogistic.

In the formal language of predicate logic existential statements are formed by quantified using the existential quantifier over predicates or statement forms. The existential quantifier is symbolized usually by one of the characters or.

Example of quantification:

The verification of a existential proposition is done by proving that there is indeed an object to the claimed property in the subject area. The falsification of an existence statement requires all items of the reference range that can be assessed. If this is not possible, then can one existential proposition more or less refute good .. This causes the empirical sciences in part to the assumption that existence statements are those statements, " although empirically verified, but can not be empirically falsified ".