Game-Theoretic Semantics

Overview

Game-theoretic semantics (GTS) is a formal approach to meaning in language. Unlike traditional theories that focus on truth conditions in isolation, GTS emphasizes the interactive process of establishing truth or falsehood. It models this by defining the meaning of a statement as the outcome of a game played by two idealized players: a verifier and a falsifier.

Key Concepts

• Meaning as a Game: The meaning of a sentence is tied to a game whose rules depend on the sentence’s logical structure.
• Verifier and Falsifier: These players engage in a strategic interaction to determine the truth value of a statement.
• Truth and Knowledge: GTS connects semantic meaning to players’ knowledge and strategic reasoning within the game.

Deep Dive

In GTS, a sentence is interpreted as a game played on a model. The verifier aims to show the sentence is true, while the falsifier aims to show it is false. The players make moves according to rules determined by the sentence’s logical form. The winner is determined by the outcome of these moves, and the sentence is considered true if the verifier has a winning strategy, and false if the falsifier does.

Applications

GTS provides a framework for understanding various linguistic phenomena, including:

• The semantics of modal and epistemic logic.
• The interpretation of natural language quantifiers.
• The interaction between meaning and pragmatics.

Challenges & Misconceptions

A common misconception is that GTS is purely about winning or losing. In reality, it’s about the strategic conditions under which truth can be established or refuted. Another challenge is the complexity of defining games for all linguistic constructions.

FAQs

Q: What is the primary goal of game-theoretic semantics?
A: To define the meaning of linguistic expressions in terms of the outcomes of idealized games.

Q: Who are the players in these games?
A: A verifier, who tries to establish truth, and a falsifier, who tries to establish falsehood.