Foundations of Logic - Completeness, Incompleteness, Computability
Published on 5. January 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
80 pages
978-1-68400-000-5 (ISBN)
Description
A comprehensive introduction to logic's central concepts.
This book provides a concise but detailed account of modern logic's three cornerstones: the completeness of first-order logic, Goedel's Incompleteness Theorems, and Turing's analysis of computability. In addition to the central text, an appendix explains the required technical terminology and facts. The main ideas behind the three cornerstones are explained in a simple, easy-to-grasp manner, and it is possible to select among the chapters and sections so that the reader becomes familiar with these ideas, even if some technicalities are skipped or postponed. A wealth of exercises accompany a wide selection of materials, including the histories and philosophical implications of the three main premises, making it useful as a textbook for undergraduate or graduate courses focusing on any of the three main themes. The material is rigorous and detailed but keeps the main ideas in sight, and there are numerous excursions into more advanced material for curious readers to explore.
This book provides a concise but detailed account of modern logic's three cornerstones: the completeness of first-order logic, Goedel's Incompleteness Theorems, and Turing's analysis of computability. In addition to the central text, an appendix explains the required technical terminology and facts. The main ideas behind the three cornerstones are explained in a simple, easy-to-grasp manner, and it is possible to select among the chapters and sections so that the reader becomes familiar with these ideas, even if some technicalities are skipped or postponed. A wealth of exercises accompany a wide selection of materials, including the histories and philosophical implications of the three main premises, making it useful as a textbook for undergraduate or graduate courses focusing on any of the three main themes. The material is rigorous and detailed but keeps the main ideas in sight, and there are numerous excursions into more advanced material for curious readers to explore.
Reviews / Votes
"The most attractively written book at its level that I have newly encountered for some years. . . . The expositional choices are very well-judged, and the balance between motivational chat and worked-through formal details seems just right to me. Many student readers should find this book quite excellent for self-study." * Logic Matters *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Stanford
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 9 mm
Width: 6 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-68400-000-5 (9781684000005)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Dag Westerstahl is professor emeritus of theoretical philosophy and logic at Stockholm University. His recent research is in the area of generalized quantifiers, formal semantics, and the philosophy of logic.