The following builds upon ideas presented
by Jan Lukasiewicz and A. K. Bierman's Logic a Dialogue [1], scholars who invented reverse Lukasiewicz
notation, and work of abstract algebra theorists.
Suppose we have some set G which we call
a Group and for all x, y, z, a, b, c belonging
to G consider the following axioms for that
set:
(1) S is a closed binary operation on G in
prefix language. That is, for all x, y there
exists at least one element of G a such that
Sxy=c. * is a closed binary operation in
infix language. That is, there exists at
least one element of G such that x*y=c. A
is a closed binary operation on G in suffix
language. That is, similar to the other parts
of this axiom, xyA=c. Explanatory comment:
S takes x and then y as its arguments in
that order only. * takes x and then y as
its arguments in that order only. xyA takes
x and then y as its arguments in that order
only.
(2) Associativity: For all x, y, z belonging
to G, SxSyz=SSxyz, x*(y*z)=(x*y)*z, xyAzA=xyzAA
(3) Complement: For all x there exists an
element x' such that there exists another
element n, such that Sxx'=Sx'x=n, x*x'=x'*x=n,
xx'A=x'xA=n.
(4) Existence of a neutral element: There
exists an n belonging to G such that for
all x belonging to G, Sxn=Snx=x, x*n=n*x=n,
xnA=nxa=n.
(5) Formal Hypothesis introduction: if a=b,
then for all x, Sxa=Sxb, x*a=x*b, xaA=xbA.
(6) Variable substitution holds for individual
variables as well as pairs of variables within
a binary operation.
(7) We can treat = as a closed binary equivalence
relation which satisfies the axiom "=xx,
x=x, xx= can get replaced with x".
Lemma 1: SxSyz, SSxyz, x*(y*z), (x*y)*z,
xyAzA, xyzAA all are closed expressions.
Proof: This follows from the closure of each
binary operation. E. G. SxSyz=Sxa by closure
and specifically replacing the variable pair
xy in (1) from Sxy, with the variable pair
yz in Syz by (6), such that SxSxy=SxSyz.
Then substituting a for Sxy and for Syz by
(6), both sides become Sxa=Sxa. By variable
substitution we can substitute xa in Sxa
with xy in Sxy from (1). So, Sxa=Sxa becomes
Sxy=Sxy. By (1), it then follows that Sxy=Sxy
becomes c=c. By (7), we can simply write
c. This shows that SxSyz=c in the form specified.
With (1), (6), and (7) similar to the above
one can prove in detail that SSxyz, x*(y*z),
(x*y)*z, xyAzA, xyzAA as closed, such that
we obtain the same form of the axiom. All
these proofs get left as exercises so this
discussion can move on.
Corollary 1: All expressions in this axiom
system are closed.
Proof: Since we have (2) as closed, we only
need to use variable substitution to prove
(3), (4), and (5) as closed expressions in
detail using a similar technique to the proof
of lemma 1.
Principle of Proof Triplication for Group
Theory Proofs: For any proof in prefix, infix,
or suffix language we can generate proofs
in the other two languages according to the
following scheme: Sxy corresponds to x*y
which corresponds to xyA, with Sxy, x*y,
and xyA all considered as wfe, wffs, or simply
logical formulas.
Proof: Since for each proof we have a list
of the axioms used in each proof, and since
by Corollary 1 all expressions are closed,
we can replace each axiom in language A by
the corresponding axiom in language B or
C which belongs to (2), (3), (4), or (5).
Suppose we replace each axiom used in a proof
in language A with the axiom in language
B such that we generate a proof in language
B. Then, since each axiom in language B corresponds
to a specific axiom in language C we can
then replace each axiom in the proof given
in language B by axioms in language C. This
generates a proof in language C. Since A,
B, and C represent any given of these three
languages, this means that from a proof in
one language we can generate a proof in any
other similar language by replacing the corresponding
axioms according to the scheme Sxy corresponds
to x*y which corresponds to xyA, such that
each of those *particular* expressions can
get thought of mapping to both of the other
two languages isomorphically since we've
considered them as wfes. This does not imply
that more complicated expressions before
elements which a formula specifically in
the infix language represented by X*Y can
map isomorphically to the other languages,
since ambiguity of order arises in infix
language. This only works here since those
three expressions only need three symbols
to get expressed and closure holds for *all*
expressions by Lemma 1.
Corollary: For any abstract algebraic system
where closure holds and we can treat all
formulas as well-formed logical expressions
(wffs, wfes, or simply formulas, as the proof
above makes explicit), we can generate three
proofs for any given theorem. One of those
proofs lays in a prefix language, one in
an infix language, and one in a postfix language.
Instead of using specific operators as above,
one can correspond any given operators X,
Y, Z and then instantiates them into a particular
form, with the correspondence Xab with aYb
to abZ where a and b now represent variables
of variables. Since all theorems follow from
axioms in any given language, proofs can
get converted to the other language step-by-step
by the Principle of Proof Triplication. Or
if one prefers not to think of each proof
as a separate entity of the same theorem,
we can express a proof in three different
ways, in prefix language, infix language,
and suffix language by the Principle of Triplication.
Theorem: For any Group, a cancellation law
is valid. That is, if Sxy=Sxz, then y=z.
By the correspondence above if x*y=x*z, then
y=z. If xyA=xzA, then y=z.
Proof: Left as an exercise. Specifically
I suggest proving in detail each if-then
assertion above. If you don't know how to
or where to begin, look up a proof of the
cancellation law for groups. Then rewrite
such a proof according to the correspondence
scheme above in one of the other languages
step-by-step. Then do such for the third
language. The author's experience is such
that doing this clears up conceptual difficulties
as to which axioms get hidden in proofs like
say of a cancellation law when usually presented,
since no statement of hypothesis introduction
as an axiom, and how much one really has
to assume to *thoroughly* write a proof.
[1] Logic: A dialogue . 1964, Holden-Day Inc.


