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Language $\mathcal L$ is defined as follows: $$\mathcal L = \{\{ f\}, \{P \}, \{ d\} \}$$ where $f$ is a binary function, $P$ is a binary predicate and $d$ is a constant. Consider this sentence $\phi$: $$(\forall x)(\exists y)((f(x,y),d)\in P)$$
Write two models $\mathbb M_1, \mathbb M_2$ such that $\mathbb M_1 \models \phi $ and $\mathbb M_2 \models \neg\phi$

I have managed to solve this but I am not sure whether or not my solution is correct - this problem appears to be trivial.
$$\mathbb M_1 = \{\mathbb N, \{+\}, \{\ge\}, \{0\} \}$$ And so we get $$(\forall x)(\exists y)(x+y \ge 0)$$ Which is of course true.
Now, $$\mathbb M_2 = \{\mathbb N, \{+\}, \{\le\}, \{0\} \}$$ And now we get this: $$(\forall x)(\exists y)(x+y \le 0)$$ Which does not work in natural numbers.

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  • $\begingroup$ Perfectly correct. $\endgroup$
    – M. Winter
    Commented Jan 30, 2018 at 13:30
  • $\begingroup$ You may want to use a notation that distinguishes tuples from sets. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 30, 2018 at 13:45

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Your idea is fine -- this is a pretty trivial exercise (just a test of understanding)!

As a supplementary exercise, now find the smallest models (meaning the ones with the smallest domains) which will make that wff true and make it false. Also trivial!

(A pernickety footnote: don't talk about models of a language -- languages have interpretations, and a particular interpretation may be a model for a bunch of one or more sentences from that language, making them all true together.)

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