| Summary: | We explore the possibility of automating <i>NP</i>-hardness reductions. We motivate the problem from an artificial intelligence perspective, then propose the use of second-order existential (<i>SO</i>∃) logic as representation language for decision problems. Building upon the theoretical framework of J. Antonio Medina, we explore the possibility of implementing seven syntactic operators. Each operator transforms <i>SO</i>∃ sentences in a way that preserves <i>NP</i>-completeness. We subsequently propose a program which implements these operators. We discuss a number of theoretical and practical barriers to this task. We prove that determining whether two <i>SO</i>∃ sentences are equivalent is as hard as GRAPH ISOMORPHISM, and prove that determining whether an arbitrary <i>SO</i>∃ sentence represents an <i>NP</i>-complete problem is undecidable.
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