Logic is the study of inference. Almost all attempts to understand inference build upon or are informed by a formalism called first order logic. In this course we will learn the basics of first order logic by working through the first two sections of the Language, Proof and Logic textbook.
A brief section at the end will introduce probability. Probability is central to inductive logic, just as first order logic is central to logic as a whole.
Language, Proof and Logic, Barwise and Etchemendy (2000). Seven Bridges Press / CSLI Publications.
Be careful with used copies. Students will submit homework to a central server using the included software, and the registration number included with each book only authorizes a single account.
We will also use this probability handout toward the end of the course.
Other materials:
| Mar 31 | Introduction |
| Apr 2 | Chapter 1.1-5, Atomic Sentences |
| Apr 5,7 | Chapter 2.1-5, The logic of atomic sentences |
| Apr 9 | Chapter 3.1-8, Boolean connectives |
| Apr 12,14 | Chapter 4.1-6, The logic of boolean connectives |
| Apr 16 | Chapter 5.1-4, Methods of proof for boolean logic |
| Apr 19,21 | Chapter 6.1-6, Formal proofs and boolean logic |
| Apr 23 | Chapter 7.1-4, Conditionals |
| Apr 26,28 | Chapter 8.1-4, The logic of conditionals |
| Apr 30 | Chapter 9.1-7, Introduction to quantification |
| May 3 | Midterm (in class) covering chapters 1-8 |
| May 5 | Chapter 9.1-7 continued |
| May 7,10 | Chapter 10.1-5, The logic of quantifiers |
| May 12,14 | Chapter 11.1-7, Multiple quantifiers |
| May 17 | Proofs with quantifiers (Chap 12.1-3, 13.1-2) |
| May 19 | Proofs with quantifiers cont (Chap 12.4, 13.3) |
| May 21 | Proofs with quantifiers cont (Chap 12.5, 13.3-4) |
| May 24,26 | Probability Theory |
| May 28 | Review of chapters 1-10 |
| Jun 2 | Review of chapters 11-13, probability |
| Jun 7 | Final 8:30-11:30am in room 60-61A |
See the homework page for homework due dates.