Predicate variable

In mathematical logic, a predicate variable is a predicate letter which functions as a "placeholder" for a relation (between terms), but which has not been specifically assigned any particular relation (or meaning). Common symbols for denoting predicate variables include capital roman letters such as , and , or lower case roman letters, e.g., . In first-order logic, they can be more properly called metalinguistic variables. In higher-order logic, predicate variables correspond to propositional variables which can stand for well-formed formulas of the same logic, and such variables can be quantified by means of (at least) second-order quantifiers. Predicate variables should be distinguished from predicate constants, which could be represented either with a different (exclusive) set of predicate letters, or by their own symbols which really do have their own specific meaning in their domain of discourse: e.g. . If letters are used for both predicate constants and predicate variables, then there must be a way of distinguishing between them. One possibility is to use letters W, X, Y, Z to represent predicate variables and letters A, B, C,..., U, V to represent predicate constants. If these letters are not enough, then numerical subscripts can be appended after the letter in question (as in X1, X2, X3). Another option is to use Greek lower-case letters to represent such metavariable predicates. Then, such letters could be used to represent entire well-formed formulae (wff) of the predicate calculus: any free variable terms of the wff could be incorporated as terms of the Greek-letter predicate. This is the first step towards creating a higher-order logic. If the predicate variables are not defined as belonging to the vocabulary of the predicate calculus, then they are predicate metavariables, whereas the rest of the predicates are just called "predicate letters". The metavariables are thus understood to be used to code for axiom schema and theorem schemata (derived from the axiom schemata).