# Idea for proof that this $\Sigma$-formula holds in every nonempty structure

Can someone give me a hint, how to prove that the $\Sigma$-formula

$$\neg (\psi_{x \rightarrow t} \ \& \ \exists x \psi)$$

where $\psi$ is an arbitrary $\Sigma$-formula, $t$ is a $\Sigma$-term whose variable don't appear in $\psi$ and $x$ is any variable, holds in every nonempty structure ?

(What "$\psi_{x \rightarrow t}$" means and for other technical details, over which alphabet the $\Sigma$-terms etc. were defined see a different post of mine)

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Is there a typo in the question? The assertion you are asking us to prove is false. If $\psi$ is a tautology, for example, with no free variables, then $\psi$ and $\exists x\ \psi$ hold in every structure. –  JDH Jul 4 '11 at 10:31
Yes, you were right. joriki figured in his answer out what I meant. Sorry. –  temo Jul 6 '11 at 10:37

As JDH pointed out, this is false. I'll assume that you meant

$$\neg (\psi_{x \rightarrow t} \ \& \ \neg\exists x \psi)$$

If $x$ does not occur in $\psi$, then the formula holds in every nonempty structure since in this case the replacement and the existential quantifier are irrelevant (since there exists at least one $x$ in the nonempty structure), so the formula holds iff $\neg(\psi\&\neg\psi)$ holds.
If $x$ does occur in $\psi$, then for the first conjunct to be true $t$ has to evaluate to an $x$ that makes $\psi$ true, and hence $\exists x\psi$, so in this case the second conjunct is false.