MATH 360 Mathematical Logic (Not offered 1998-99)

In 1931 Kurt Godel proved the famous Incompleteness Theorem, showing that any formal logical formulation of ordinary arithmetic must contain a statement which can neither be proved nor refuted. This discovery led to questions of solvability, computability, and decidability. In addition to working through a proof of the Incompleteness Theorem, students in this tutorial will consider the logical systems of statement and predicate calculus, formal structures (groups, arithmetic, set theory), algorithms and computability, Turing machines, and the word problem for semigroups. Evaluation will be based on presentations, problem assignments, and a final exam. Prerequisite: Mathematics 211.

V. HILL