Definition df-frec 6392

Description: Define a recursive definition generator on ω (the class of finite ordinals) with characteristic function 𝐹 and initial value 𝐼. This rather amazing operation allows us to define, with compact direct definitions, functions that are usually defined in textbooks only with indirect self-referencing recursive definitions. A recursive definition requires advanced metalogic to justify - in particular, eliminating a recursive definition is very difficult and often not even shown in textbooks. On the other hand, the elimination of a direct definition is a matter of simple mechanical substitution. The price paid is the daunting complexity of our frec operation (especially when df-recs 6306 that it is built on is also eliminated). But once we get past this hurdle, definitions that would otherwise be recursive become relatively simple; see frec0g 6398 and frecsuc 6408.

Unlike with transfinite recursion, finite recurson can readily divide definitions and proofs into zero and successor cases, because even without excluded middle we have theorems such as nn0suc 4604. The analogous situation with transfinite recursion - being able to say that an ordinal is zero, successor, or limit - is enabled by excluded middle and thus is not available to us. For the characteristic functions which satisfy the conditions given at frecrdg 6409, this definition and df-irdg 6371 restricted to ω produce the same result.

Note: We introduce frec with the philosophical goal of being able to eliminate all definitions with direct mechanical substitution and to verify easily the soundness of definitions. Metamath itself has no built-in technical limitation that prevents multiple-part recursive definitions in the traditional textbook style. (Contributed by Mario Carneiro and Jim Kingdon, 10-Aug-2019.)

Assertion

Ref	Expression
df-frec	⊢ frec(𝐹, 𝐼) = (recs((𝑔 ∈ V ↦ {𝑥 ∣ (∃𝑚 ∈ ω (dom 𝑔 = suc 𝑚 ∧ 𝑥 ∈ (𝐹‘(𝑔‘𝑚))) ∨ (dom 𝑔 = ∅ ∧ 𝑥 ∈ 𝐼))})) ↾ ω)

Distinct variable groups:   𝑥,𝑔,𝑚,𝐹   𝑥,𝐼,𝑔,𝑚

Detailed syntax breakdown of Definition df-frec

Step	Hyp	Ref	Expression
1		cF	. . 3 class 𝐹
2		cI	. . 3 class 𝐼
3	1, 2	cfrec 6391	. 2 class frec(𝐹, 𝐼)
4		vg	. . . . 5 setvar 𝑔
5		cvv 2738	. . . . 5 class V
6	4	cv 1352	. . . . . . . . . . 11 class 𝑔
7	6	cdm 4627	. . . . . . . . . 10 class dom 𝑔
8		vm	. . . . . . . . . . . 12 setvar 𝑚
9	8	cv 1352	. . . . . . . . . . 11 class 𝑚
10	9	csuc 4366	. . . . . . . . . 10 class suc 𝑚
11	7, 10	wceq 1353	. . . . . . . . 9 wff dom 𝑔 = suc 𝑚
12		vx	. . . . . . . . . . 11 setvar 𝑥
13	12	cv 1352	. . . . . . . . . 10 class 𝑥
14	9, 6	cfv 5217	. . . . . . . . . . 11 class (𝑔‘𝑚)
15	14, 1	cfv 5217	. . . . . . . . . 10 class (𝐹‘(𝑔‘𝑚))
16	13, 15	wcel 2148	. . . . . . . . 9 wff 𝑥 ∈ (𝐹‘(𝑔‘𝑚))
17	11, 16	wa 104	. . . . . . . 8 wff (dom 𝑔 = suc 𝑚 ∧ 𝑥 ∈ (𝐹‘(𝑔‘𝑚)))
18		com 4590	. . . . . . . 8 class ω
19	17, 8, 18	wrex 2456	. . . . . . 7 wff ∃𝑚 ∈ ω (dom 𝑔 = suc 𝑚 ∧ 𝑥 ∈ (𝐹‘(𝑔‘𝑚)))
20		c0 3423	. . . . . . . . 9 class ∅
21	7, 20	wceq 1353	. . . . . . . 8 wff dom 𝑔 = ∅
22	13, 2	wcel 2148	. . . . . . . 8 wff 𝑥 ∈ 𝐼
23	21, 22	wa 104	. . . . . . 7 wff (dom 𝑔 = ∅ ∧ 𝑥 ∈ 𝐼)
24	19, 23	wo 708	. . . . . 6 wff (∃𝑚 ∈ ω (dom 𝑔 = suc 𝑚 ∧ 𝑥 ∈ (𝐹‘(𝑔‘𝑚))) ∨ (dom 𝑔 = ∅ ∧ 𝑥 ∈ 𝐼))
25	24, 12	cab 2163	. . . . 5 class {𝑥 ∣ (∃𝑚 ∈ ω (dom 𝑔 = suc 𝑚 ∧ 𝑥 ∈ (𝐹‘(𝑔‘𝑚))) ∨ (dom 𝑔 = ∅ ∧ 𝑥 ∈ 𝐼))}
26	4, 5, 25	cmpt 4065	. . . 4 class (𝑔 ∈ V ↦ {𝑥 ∣ (∃𝑚 ∈ ω (dom 𝑔 = suc 𝑚 ∧ 𝑥 ∈ (𝐹‘(𝑔‘𝑚))) ∨ (dom 𝑔 = ∅ ∧ 𝑥 ∈ 𝐼))})
27	26	crecs 6305	. . 3 class recs((𝑔 ∈ V ↦ {𝑥 ∣ (∃𝑚 ∈ ω (dom 𝑔 = suc 𝑚 ∧ 𝑥 ∈ (𝐹‘(𝑔‘𝑚))) ∨ (dom 𝑔 = ∅ ∧ 𝑥 ∈ 𝐼))}))
28	27, 18	cres 4629	. 2 class (recs((𝑔 ∈ V ↦ {𝑥 ∣ (∃𝑚 ∈ ω (dom 𝑔 = suc 𝑚 ∧ 𝑥 ∈ (𝐹‘(𝑔‘𝑚))) ∨ (dom 𝑔 = ∅ ∧ 𝑥 ∈ 𝐼))})) ↾ ω)
29	3, 28	wceq 1353	1 wff frec(𝐹, 𝐼) = (recs((𝑔 ∈ V ↦ {𝑥 ∣ (∃𝑚 ∈ ω (dom 𝑔 = suc 𝑚 ∧ 𝑥 ∈ (𝐹‘(𝑔‘𝑚))) ∨ (dom 𝑔 = ∅ ∧ 𝑥 ∈ 𝐼))})) ↾ ω)

This definition is referenced by:  freceq1  6393  freceq2  6394  frecex  6395  frecfun  6396  nffrec  6397  frec0g  6398  frecfnom  6402  freccllem  6403  frecfcllem  6405  frecsuclem  6407