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Descriptive Complexity, Lower Bounds and Linear Time

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Computer Science Logic (CSL 1998)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 1584))

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Abstract

This paper surveys two related lines of research:

  • Logical characterizations of (non-deterministic) linear time complexity classes, and

  • non-expressibility results concerning sublogics of existential second-order logic.

Starting from Fagin’s fundamental work there has been steady progress in both fields with the effect that the weakest logics that are used in characterizations of linear time complexity classes are closely related to the strongest logics for which inexpressibility proofs for concrete problems have been obtained. The paper sketches these developments and highlights their connections as well as the obstacles that prevent us from closing the remaining gap between both kinds of logics.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz,  

    Thomas Schwentick

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  1. Thomas Schwentick
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Computing Laboratory, Oxford University, Wolfson Building Parks Road Oxford,, OX1 3QD, United Kingdom

    Georg Gottlob

  2. GREYC, Université de Caen, CNRS, Campus 2, F-14032, Caen cedex, France

    Etienne Grandjean

  3.  ,  

    Katrin Seyr

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Schwentick, T. (1999). Descriptive Complexity, Lower Bounds and Linear Time. In: Gottlob, G., Grandjean, E., Seyr, K. (eds) Computer Science Logic. CSL 1998. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1584. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/10703163_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/10703163_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-65922-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-48855-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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