Synopses & Reviews
Although mathematical logic can be a formidably abstruse topic, even for mathematicians, this concise book presents the subject in a lively and approachable fashion. It deals with the very important ideas in modern mathematical logic without the detailed mathematical work required of those with a professional interest in logic.
The book begins with a historical survey of the development of mathematical logic from two parallel streams: formal deduction, which originated with Aristotle, Euclid, and others; and mathematical analysis, which dates back to Archimedes in the same era. The streams began to converge in the seventeenth century with the invention of the calculus, which ultimately brought mathematics and logic together. The authors then briefly indicate how such relatively modern concepts as set theory, Gödel's incompleteness theorems, the continuum hypothesis, the Löwenheim-Skolem theorem, and other ideas influenced mathematical logic.
The ideas are set forth simply and clearly in a pleasant style, and despite the book's relative brevity, there is much covered on these pages. Nonmathematicians can read the book as a general survey; students of the subject will find it a stimulating introduction. Readers will also find suggestions for further reading in this lively and exciting area of modern mathematics.
Synopsis
This lively introduction to mathematical logic, easily accessible to nonmathematicians, offers an historical survey, coverage of predicate calculus, model theory, Godel's theorems, computability and recursive functions, consistency and independence in axiomatic set theory, and much more. Suggestions for Further Reading. Diagrams.
Synopsis
A serious introductory treatment geared toward non-logicians, this survey traces the development of mathematical logic from ancient to modern times and discusses the work of Planck, Einstein, Bohr, Pauli, Heisenberg, Dirac, and others. 1972 edition.
Synopsis
This introduction to the main ideas and results of mathematical logic is a serious treatment geared toward non-logicians. Starting with a historical survey of logic in ancient times, it traces the 17th-century development of calculus and discusses modern theories, including set theory, the continuum hypothesis, and other ideas. 1972 edition.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [79]) and index.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Historical Survey
2. The Completeness of Predicate Calculus
3. Model Theory
4. Turing Machines and Recursive Functions
5. Gödel's Incompleteness Theorems
6. Set Theory
Some Suggestions for Further Reading
Index