Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Languages    2. Computers    3. Computers - Languages / Programming    4. Programming - Software Development    5. Computer Programming    6. Computers / Programming / Software Development    7. Mathematical logic   

Reviews (3)

Pleasant and Thorough
This book is the best introduction to Modal Logic I know, and it is great for reference too. It gives a general survey of modal propositional and even modal predicate logic (this latter is pretty difficult and rarely presented in introductory books). There is one feature of this book that I really love: the authors try to present everything without supposing anything on the part of the readers. I really suffer when I get a book that supposes that strange type of pre-requisite that appears to be everything minus the subject that is being presented - and sometimes the author even supposes that you have already met his subject before! Hughes and Cresswell write in a pleasant pace, sometimes repeating themselves, but this is good for educational purposes. I like their analogies: the presentation of K-validity as a modal game is really superb. They do not exagerate with mathematical formalisms, using only when indispensable, and this is good for the non-mathematician. I recommend it for every reader interested in logic in general, mathematicians or philosophers.

slow and painful
If you have never studied logic, this is the book for you.But if you have, find something else.This book is slow and it spends too much time on the deductive system in propositional logic.Tedious.

OK, but Hard to Wade Through
Hughes and Cresswell (sounds like a deli sandwich, unfortunately) have written what is probably the best introduction to modal logic on the market.They are clear, orderly, organized--but they don't provide thestudent with anything to make his or her foray into the subject any morepleasant.It's a text for logicians-to-be with excessive-compulsivedisorders; that would be most, but not everyone.The authors would do wellto reformat their text, but the content is superb. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Logic    2. Modality (Logic)    3. Philosophy    4. Philosophy / General   

Reviews (6)

Symbolic computation
This book explains and illustrates the algorithms used by symbolic math packages such as Mathematica, Maple, CoCoA, MatLab, MuPAD,... to solve problems involving polynomials in many variables, and along theway teaches the elements of real algebraic geometry-- most mathematics texts concentrate on the complex-variable version. It is not just for undergraduates; electrical engineers, for instance, should see it.Lots of pictures!

Easiest introduction to Algebraic Geometry
This is the easiest introduction to algebraic geometry and commutative algebra, the authors had done a great job in writing a book that assume very little from the readers. To learn some algebraic geometry, you can either start with this book, or you can spend a year to read a lot of background materials in algebra and then go to a Graduate Text like Harris' book. Of course, if you want to be an expert in algebra, you eventually need a lot of background, what this book can help you is to offer you a quick start, much quicker than you would ever imagine.

Straightforward and lucidly written
Having just finished using this text in the course of an undergraduate seminar, I can attest to the fact that the authors' style is outstanding - they are able to synthesize an enormous amount of material in this volume and present it in a manner that is highly accessible to almost all students of mathematics.The presentation of important theorems (for example, Hilbert's Nullstellensatz and Basis Theorem) along with just the right amount of copncrete examples makes for a book of superb quality.All-around, I highly recommend this volume to anyone who has an interest in learning about Algebraic Geometry. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Algebra    2. Algebraic Geometry    3. Commutative algebra    4. Data processing    5. Geometry - Algebraic    6. Geometry, Algebraic    7. Logic    8. Mathematics    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Mathematics / Geometry / Algebraic    11. Mathematics / Logic    12. Mathematics-Logic   

Subjects:  1. Advanced    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computers - General Information    4. Logic    5. Machine theory    6. Mathematics    7. Reference - General    8. Systems Analysis    9. Theory Of Computing    10. Computers / Programming / Software Development    11. Mathematical logic    12. Mathematical theory of computation   

Subjects:  1. Algebra - General    2. Algebra, Boolean    3. Boolean Algebra    4. Computational complexity    5. Computer Books: General    6. Computer Science    7. Computers    8. Discrete Mathematics    9. Logic    10. Mathematics    11. Programming - General    12. Theory Of Computing    13. Beweissysteme    14. Boolesche Funktionen    15. Computer Programming    16. Computers / Computer Science    17. Komplexitätstheorie    18. Mathematical theory of computation    19. Parallel processing    20. Paralleles Rechnen   

Reviews (1)

Nice coverage of Wolframs published work
This is a nice collection of wolframs work on cellular automata (whichfirst appeared as a number of papers in various physics journals).It is anice coverage of cellular automata, but it would have been nice to givemore credit to von Neuman for his pioneering work in cellular automatatheory.Read more

Subjects:  1. Cellular automata    2. Computational complexity    3. General    4. Logic    5. Mathematics    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Mathematical logic    8. PHYSICS   

Reviews (3)

The Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field
Not only is this book fascinating, it's the only one of it's kind. The book has also proved very useful to me in life. As a graduate student I used Poincar�'s implicit `advice' (described in the book) in the following way. In electrodynamics we had a long problem sheet to hand in every two weeks. I started by writing down answers to all problems that I knew. Then, I thought about the next-easiest problem each day walking twice to and from the University (about 1 1/2 hours altogether). When the answer came I wrote it down and iterated the process. Before the end of two weeks most of the problems (from Jackson) had been solved. Poincari's advice is very good about giving the unconscious a chance to work. Phooey and double phooey on the silly, uncreative skinner-box types and other behaviorists who don't recognize the unconscious as the source of creativity!

The Psychology of Math
The Mathematician's Mind is a study on how research mathematicians go about the business of advancing their field.Jacques Hadamard, a prominent mathematician, wrote this psychology text over 50 years ago, after having done his best work 50 years prior. Although in some ways dated, both in content and in writing style, the book provides an interesting examination of the role of the conscious and subconscious in solving a problem, particularly the process of incubation and (seemingly) sudden inspiration. He brings up the roles intuition and logic play in the way various mathematicians go about their business.Hadamard also examines the influence of aesthetics in not just choosing a problem, but in solving it. He studies the choice of research direction, with the interesting comment that Hadamard himself avoided areas of research where there was already a great deal of activity. A study of the mental workings of some great mathematicians
This is a short study of how creative thought works.Hadamard, a world-class mathematician best known for his proof of the prime number theorem in 1896, wrote this in the 40's, basing it on correspondence with many of the great living mathematicians of his time.The actual questions he posed are preserved in an appendix.Read more

Subjects:  1. Advanced    2. Logic    3. Mathematical Psychology    4. Mathematicians    5. Mathematics    6. Neuropsychology    7. Philosophy    8. Philosophy Of Mathematics    9. Psychology    10. Cognition & cognitive psychology    11. History of Science and Medicine, Philosophy of Science    12. Mathematics / Advanced    13. Physics   

Reviews (1)

Excellent material that fits lots of class uses
A summary of his statement on p. 125 on "Russell's Mathematical Logic" describes the "vicious circle principle: forbids a certain kind of circularity which is made responsible for the paradoxes. The fallacy in these, so it is contended, consists in the circumstance that one defines (or tacitly assumes) totalities, whose existence would entail the existence of certain new elements of the same totality, namely elements definable only in terms of the whole totality." This led to the formulation of a principle which says that "no totality can contain members definable only in terms of this totality, or members involving or presupposing this totality." (The vicious circle principle). (Also a "not applying to itself principle to keep the vicious circle principle from applying to itself p. 126Read more

Subjects:  1. Essays    2. History & Philosophy    3. Logic    4. Mathematical And Symbolic Logic    5. Mathematicians And Their Works    6. Mathematics    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Mathematical logic    9. Mathematics / Logic    10. Mathematics | Logic   

Editorial Review

Yes, this is the Lewis Carroll who wrote Alice in Wonderland, and these two works show the same quirky humor. Here you see Carroll the mathematician at his playful best. Don't let the title of the first work mislead you--this isn't about modern symbolic logic but about ways of expressing classical logic with symbols. It's loaded with amusing problems to delight any mathematical puzzler. In the second work he turns logic into a game played with diagrams and colored counters, giving you hundreds of challenging and witty syllogisms to solve. Great mind-stretching fun. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

So, you think you're smart....
...This will solve that.
Content 5 Stars, Format 1 Star - Averages out
Lewis Carroll's contents timeless and fundamental and should be interesting to anybody with interest in Symbolic Logics or even simple logical problem solving.
Reminds us that math can be FUN
Math is fun, but the rhetoric of most 'taught' (probably an overstatement) math (and, by extension, logic) is so incredibly dry that the forest is rarely seen for the bark on the trees. But here Carroll, with tongue lodgedfirmly in cheek, turns the rhetoric (and by extension, the way we thinkabout math problems) on its ear, and the result is an often incrediblyfunny approach to math and logic problems which stays with you andultimately worms its way into your quotidian. I'll also say that, as anatrociously poor student in high school, this book allowed me to ace theSATs, and then ten years later the GREs. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Logic    3. Logic, Symbolic and mathematical    4. Mathematical recreations    5. Puzzles    6. Science    7. Games / Puzzles    8. Mathematical logic   

Reviews (1)

Very good if you need no slack
I've been working my way through McLarty's book off and on for several months now.It is a tremendously clear and well-organized book, and you can learn a lot from it. HOWEVER: it is a "math book" in the strictest sense of the word. Exposition is kept to a bare minimum, and you have to actually work your way through the material (AND the exercises, since many of the definitions are given in them) in order to learn anything. He could have easier doubled or tripled the amount of exposition and still have produced a lean, mean textbook. This is a really good book if you need to learn category theory and you already know why. The only extensive example is a short chapter on group theory. After reading his article on category theory in the Routledge encyclopedia of philosophy I expected rather more in the way of theorizing. Be that as it may: everything you need to know about categories and toposes is in here, and nothing else. The best math book I've read in a long time. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Categories (Mathematics)    2. Computer Science    3. History & Surveys - General    4. Homology Theory    5. Logic    6. Mathematical And Symbolic Logic    7. Mathematics    8. Philosophy    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Toposes    11. Category theory    12. Mathematical logic    13. Mathematics / Logic    14. Mathematics | Logic   

Subjects:  1. Essays    2. History & Philosophy    3. Logic    4. Mathematical And Symbolic Logic    5. Mathematicians And Their Works    6. Mathematics    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Mathematical logic    9. Mathematics / Logic    10. Mathematics | Logic    11. Philosophy of mathematics   

Reviews (14)

Not every scholar should write for students.
I was a student of Mr. Ross's, taking Discrete Math, a few years ago.He's is a very intelligent man and seemed to enjoy teaching.Unfortunately, he was not very good at it.And same goes for this text book of his.His attitude and approach in the classroom and the book's alike might be helpful if the student has already mastered the majority of the covered topics, in which case, this book becomes useless.

I agree with what everyone else says....
This book will cost you much more than the principle "investment" of $100+, given the time required to interperet Ross's examples, and in many cases, un/re-learn the material.

terrible book
I keep thinking as I'm forced to use this book for a college course, that Discrete Math would not be so confusing to me if not for this textbook. With a good textbook, I believe the concepts would not be very difficult, but this book makes them so. True, they have many examples - very few of which cover the complex things you are then asked to do in the Exercises. If I could give it negative stars, I would, since it doesn't teach us but confuses us. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Science    2. Computers    3. Discrete Mathematics (Computer Science)    4. Mathematics    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Mathematical logic   

Subjects:  1. Calculus    2. Combinatorics    3. Functional Analysis    4. Logic    5. Mathematical And Symbolic Logic    6. Mathematics    7. Philosophy    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Triangular norms    10. Mathematical logic    11. Philosophy / Logic   

Reviews (2)

Not too verbose
There aren't so many errors, but there's not much English explanation either. Everything is in symbols, which vary from author to author so another book doesn't help. The symbols are only defined once mostly with other symbols. This book could really use a glossary or a chart like they have on math books. The profs might like it cause there's some neat problems. I'm not sure there's any really good book on this subject. The problem is computer science has never attracted those with strong English skills and it certainly isn't getting better.

Pile of crap!
This book was terrible! It was very boring, overly-technical, and had spelling and grammar errors all over the place! Not very professional... If you are a self-teaching programmer I would recommend that you find a different book because you won't learn much from this one! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computational complexity    2. Computer Books And Software    3. Computer Science    4. Computers    5. Computers - General Information    6. Formal languages    7. Logic    8. Machine theory    9. Programming - General    10. Computers / Programming Languages / General    11. General Theory of Computing    12. Natural language & machine translation   

Reviews (5)

Divided Lives Redux
I just spent the past Saturday afternoon reading _Angles of Reflection_ by Joan L. Richards and was quite moved by it.For anyone who has had to grapple with balancing work and family -- including in academics where one's schedule is flexible but at times consuming and unpredictable -- this book is a must read along with other similar volumes, such as _Divided Lives_ and _True North_. Richards's depictions of "mother's time" and "professional time", as well as the conflict between the two, could very well have been a chapter in Alan Lightman's _Einstein's Dreams_.German culture is not a very hospitable environment for working mothers, but Richards navigates skillfully through maternal care, professional meetings, and daily annoyances like sharply abbreviated hours for grocery shopping. Her depiction of the German medical system, a form of socialized medicine, might be looked upon as idiosyncratic and Byzantine by all except those of us who have to deal with American HMO's on a regular basis.Past and present, as well as life and art, overlap in this deliciously engrossing volume: as she cares for her son, Richards works through the intricacies of her biographies of Augustus and Sophia De Morgan and finds in their child, Alice, a parallel story of parental concern.Richards's story reminded me of a statement attributed to Jackie Kennedy Onassis: when asked about raising her children, she is supposed to have said, "If I fail at this, nothing else matters."Above all else, Richards's love and care for her two boys shine through this volume, even on pages dense with Newton, the De Morgans, and probability theory.This book, written in the tradition of Jill Ker Conway, is required reading for anyone, but especially for those curious about how the thinking lives of academics intersects with the practical and emotional lives of the everyday world.Highly recommended.

Good writing, but the point being made is hard to make out
I found this book to be very well written, and at the beginning I had high hopes that I would like it very much.However, I found that as the book went on, I was less and less sure what point the author was trying to make and just what the focus of the book was supposed to be.What the author's son Ned went through with two unrelated and severe medical problems was compelling to read about, but not really enough to carry the book.The math history parts of the book often seemed quite unrelated to the main tale.Perhaps the book was a way to expose the many uncaring or distant medical professionals the author encountered, but this was not tied together into a real message.Or perhaps the author was telling her story to justify her decision not to return to the States with her son once he ran into medical troubles in Germany---which in my eyes didn't really need justifying---I would not see Germany as having less competant medical care than the US.In any case, I found the ending a bit unfinished---I didn't really see how all of a sudden Ned's elbow was fixed, and we were not told much about the final outcome of his seizures or his brain surgery, although the book was published at least 3 years after these problems started.I feel there could have been a much better book here with more focus and more of a unified point.However, I did finish the book and am still thinking about it--a sign of something worth reading.

Many angles to reflect upon
I have read this book twice, and recommended it to several friends, and find it a most complex and multi-faceted tale. On the one hand a poignant account of a sick child,and an examination of the difficult decisions everyone has to make under uncertainty, it is much more than that as it weaves Newton, Leibniz and Augustus de Morgan and the choices they made into the story. It was in many ways a brave decision of Joan Richards to write and publish this book, and those who read it can judge for themselves her success--I found it riveting, and even better on the second reading. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Diseases - Cancer    5. Parental Memoirs    6. Parenting - Motherhood    7. Scientists - General    8. Specific Groups - Special Needs    9. Biography: general    10. Mathematics    11. Mathematics / Logic    12. Popular science   

Subjects:  1. (Luitzen Egbertus Jan),    2. 1881-1966    3. Biography    4. Brouwer, L. E. J.    5. General    6. History & Philosophy    7. Logic    8. Mathematicians    9. Mathematics    10. Netherlands    11. Science/Mathematics    12. Topology - General    13. Biography: general    14. History of mathematics    15. Mathematics / Logic    16. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. Logic    2. Mathematics    3. Philosophy    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Set Theory   

Subjects:  1. Interdisciplinary approach to    2. Interdisciplinary approach to knowledge    3. Linguistics    4. Logic    5. Philosophy    6. Philosophy (General)    7. Philosophy / Logic   

Reviews (1)

The most user-friendly book for Propositional Logic
This is a easy to use text for learning the basics of Propositional Logic. The rule set is simple and symmetrical, easy to use. The CD gives important feedback to the student and contains the answers to almost every exercise in the book plus additional practice exercises. I would recommend this textbook to any professor wishing to teach Propositional Logic. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Logic    3. Logic, Symbolic and mathematic    4. Logic, Symbolic and mathematical    5. Mathematical And Symbolic Logic    6. Philosophy    7. Proposition (Logic)    8. Reasoning    9. Mathematical logic    10. Philosophy / General   

Reviews (3)

A great book on recusive function theory.
This is a reprint of Davis's 1958 book, and at the dover price, it's a great bargain. The book is for math students and introduces the basics of recursive function theory (the table of contents gives a good impression of what's included- here the 'iteration theorem' means the smn theorem). Note it doesn't cover a lot of the more computer-science oriented topics that are standard for undergraduate books titled 'computability theory', such as regular automata, grammars & parsing, complexity classes and NP-completeness (if you want this material I recommend Lewis & Papadimitriou). I found it very well-written and it gets a lot done in under 200 pages. The theorems fit together like precision-machined parts- Davis obviously put a lot of care into his choice of material and presentation, achieving a maximum of efficiency and cohesion. The style is rigorous throughout (for instance, I enjoyed his tight handling of Turing machines by using a series of well-chosen lemmas- its perhaps the first time I've really seen this done right). The last three chapters are noticeably steeper and not as well done- its too bad there was never a second edition. In the appendix is a complete proof of the unsolvability of Hilbert's 10th problem. There are no exercises.
Another Dover classic reprint at a bargain price.
Another classic reprintrom Dover at a reasonable price. Martin Davis is a very well-known worker in the area of logical foundations of computing.This book covers muchfascinating material and provides answers to some deep questions relating to the limits of computations. The material can be a little dry but worth the effort. The book is worth the price for the appendix which is a reprint of an article by Davis on the proof of the unsolvability of Hilbert's Tenth Problem.

Mapping the Outer Limits of Computation
The book introduces the theory of computability and non-computability tothe mathematically-comfortable.The theory of recursive functions providesentry to that theoretical territory at the limits of what is computable andwhat is solvable.The theory is relevant to important philosophicalquestions and also in the theory of computing and what is possible (andnever possible) by use of computing machines.Read more

Subjects:  1. Computable functions    2. Logic    3. Mathematics    4. Recursive functions    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Unsolvability (Mathematical lo    7. Unsolvability (Mathematical logic)    8. Mathematical theory of computation    9. Mathematics / General