Logic Primer - Softcover

Allen, Colin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0262510650 ISBN 13: 9780262510653

Publisher: MIT Press, 1992

Synopsis

This text presents a self-contained introduction to logic suitable for majors and nonmajors, and can be covered entirely in a one-semester course. Natural deduction systems of sentential logic and of first-order logic, truth tables, and the basic ideas of model theory are presented without superfluous discussion. This allows the instructor to choose various ways of presenting the material. The text is organized into definitions, comments, examples, and exercises in a modern, visually helpful format. Comments are kept to a minimum so that definitions and examples are usually on the same page, making it easy for students to compare the two. In addition, there are over 500 exercises, with solutions to more than half of them provided in an appendix. In "Logic primer" the proofs are designed to be short and the rules of proof are stated in terms of denials of sentences rather than negations; this results in more intuitive rules that students learn more quickly. In addition, the authors' natural deduction systems track the assumptions on which each step in a proof depends.

About this title

Review

"Logic Primer is an excellent textbook: wonderfully concise, clear, and rich. I recommend it highly for introductory courses in formal logic. And the web-based software is state-of-the-art."--Torin Alter, Department of Philosophy, The University of Alabama "By far the smoothest running natural deduction system that I have seen in 28 years of teaching logic. The proof checker website and the low cost of the text make Logic Primer the first choice!"--Jonathan Gold, West Liberty State College "I am very pleased to see that Logic Primer is coming out in a second edition. I have used the first edition to great effect in turning my classes into learning communities of careful readers. The new material on identity, and the revisions to previous material, are well motivated and will be helpful. The key virtue of the book, however, is its clear, direct, and intelligibly sequenced presentation of logic. I look forward to being able to continue to build my course around the structure provided by Logic Primer."--William S. Robinson, Professor of Philosophy, Iowa State University "What makes Logic Primer a uniquely valuable text is not that it contains everything you need for an introductory logic course (which, of course, it does), but that it contains nothing more. While providing students with a clear and comprehensive yet streamlined presentation of first-order logic, it allows instructors the freedom to tailor the structure and pace of the course to fit their own pedagogical goals. Moreover, the natural deduction system is elegant, intuitive, and free of various unnecessary procedures that, though common in other systems, tend to make derivations difficult for students to grasp."--Amy Kind, Department of Philosophy, Claremont McKenna CollegePlease note: Don't use; Amy Kind is thanked in the acknowledgments.

About the Author

Michael Hand is Professor of Philosophy at Texas A&M University.

Edition details

• Publisher: MIT Press
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 0262510650
• ISBN 13: 9780262510653
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 188