Toward the van Benthem Characterization Theorem for Non-Distributive Modal Logic

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce the simulations and bisimulations on polarity-based semantics for non-distributive modal logic, which are natural generalizations of those notions on Kripke semantics for modal logic. We also generalize other important model-theoretic notions about Kripke semantics such as image-finite models, modally-saturated models, ultrafilter extension and ultrapower extension to the non-distributive setting. By using these generalizations, we prove the Hennessy-Milner theorem and the van Benthem characterization theorem for non-distributive modal logic based on polarity-based semantics.