Embedding Modal Logics into Logics of Bunched Implications

2026-08-07

AI Summary

This work investigates the syntactic embedding of the classical modal logic S4 into Boolean Bunched Implication logic (BBI), preserving validity under hypothetical reasoning and axiomatic extensions. Inspired by Gödel’s embedding of intuitionistic logic into S4, the authors present, for the first time, a complete Hilbert-style deductive theorem proof for BBI. Building on this result, they construct robust syntactic embeddings of S4 into BBI and several of its extensions—including hybrid BBI and classical BI. The proposed method uniformly applies to arbitrary axiomatic extensions of both S4 and BBI, thereby uncovering deep semantic connections between modal logics and resource-sensitive logics.

Abstract

We present a new proof of the embedding of the classical modal logic S4 into the logic of Boolean Bunched Implications (BBI). While the original proof is semantical, this proof is entirely syntactical. It proceeds via Hilbert-style calculi, and is built by analogy with a recently discovered proof by Godel of the embedding of intuitionistic propositional logic into S4. We present the first full proofs of deduction theorems for BBI, which are used to show that the embedding is preserved by reasoning with assumptions, including where those assumptions are organised into bunches. Unlike the existing proof, our proof is stable under arbitrary axiomatic extensions of S4, and applies to all known axiomatic extensions of BBI in the literature. We observe how this embedding is related to semantical properties of both logics. Moreover, the proof extends gracefully to language extensions of BBI, as we show with hybrid BBI, classical BI, and sub-classical BBI.

Problem

• modal logic
• bunched implications
• embedding
• S4
• BBI

Innovation

• syntactic embedding
• Boolean Bunched Implications
• modal logic S4
• deduction theorem
• Hilbert-style calculus