Edu:Interpretation

Interpretation

1. [Logic] An (truth-functional) interpretation is an assignment of reference to the symbols of a formal language.

Commentary

• The definition of 'interpretation' in mathematical logic was originally provided by Alfred Tarski and latter refined with Robert Vaught. The intent was to provide criteria that a definition of ‘true sentence’ should meet. See

- Tarski, A. 1933, “The concept of truth in the languages of the deductive sciences” (Polish), Prace Towarzystwa Naukowego Warszawskiego, Wydzial III Nauk Matematyczno-Fizycznych 34, Warsaw; reprinted in Zygmunt 1995, pp. 13–172; expanded English translation in Tarski 1983 [1956], pp. 152–278;

- Tarski, A. and Vaught, R., 1956, “Arithmetical extensions of relational systems”, Compositio Mathematica, 13: 81–102.