Introduction to Logic & Philosophy (822181)

Course Coordinator:
Dr Nathan Wildman (TiLPS, Philosophy)
n.w.wildman@uvt.nl
nwwildman.wordpress.com
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Course Description

Logic plays a fundamental role in a wide variety of disciplines and topics, including in computer
architecture (Boolean logic, digital gates, hardware verification), software engineering
(specification, verification), programming languages (semantics, type theory, logic programming),
databases (relational algebra, database query language), artificial intelligence (automated theorem
proving, knowledge representation), algorithms, and theories of computation (complexity,
computability, expressiveness).

This course serves as an introduction to logic, providing students with a grasp of certain formal
tools that will prove invaluable for future study. It particularly focuses on two logical systems:
Truth-Functional Logic (TFL) and First Order Logic (FOL). For each, we discuss the syntax
(what it means to construct a well formed sentence in the logic), the semantics (how one decides
whether or not a sentence in the logic is true), a proof theory (how, if you know some true
things, you can figure out what else is true), and how to translate between natural language and
these formal languages. We will also discuss some meta-logic, as well as some basic set-theory.

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Learning Goals

On the basis of their knowledge and comprehension of techniques covered in class, students will
be able to:

(1) Identify, explain, and apply the notion and basic concepts of truth-functional and first-
order formal logic

(2) Translate natural language sentences into sentences in truth-functional and first-order
logic

(3) Test the validity of arguments and the consistency of sets of sentences in truth-functional
logic and first-order logic

(4) State and apply a proof system for truth-functional and first-order logic

(5) Define and demonstrate familiarity with metalogical concepts, including the expressive
adequacy, soundness, and completeness of truth-functional logic

(6) Define and demonstrate knowledge of fundamental concepts in set theory

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Assessment

There are 100 total points available in the course, spread across three components:

Assignments: 20 points

Midterm exam: 40 points

Final exam: 40 points

A student’s grade is determined by the amount of overall points earned. Points are earned by
either completing assignments (more on this below) or correctly answering questions on the
Midterm/Final exam. Because grades are determined by overall score, there is no minimal grade
for any given component.

Assignments consist of exercises from the textbook. These should be completed before the
relevant lecture, and are to be submitted at by the start of the lecture. Prior to submission,
students should use the solutions book (see link below) to self-correct their work. Submitted
assignments will receive a score from 0-2. To score 2 points, an assignment needs to be complete
and, where necessary, include all requisite corrections. To score 1 point, it needs to be mostly
complete and have at least some corrections. An assignment scoring 0 is incomplete or is not
self-corrected. A student’s overall assignments mark will be determined by adding the scores of
the 10 best individual assignments (out of 12). Late assignments will receive a maximum score of
1.

The Midterm examination will focus on material covered in the first 7 lectures, and will consist
of a number of different exercises. The Final examination will cover the material discussed in
lectures 8-14, and will consist of a number of different exercises.

There will be resits for all forms of assessment. The Midterm and Final exam resits will be
scheduled for some time in January, while it is possible to ‘resit’ homework assignments by
resubmitting them prior to the date of the Final exam resit.
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Policies and rules of conduct

Attendance You are expected (though not required) to attend all lectures and
tutorials. I will not take attendance, but you should be aware that if you
fail to attend lectures or tutorials, you will likely miss important
information.

Special accommodation If you require special accommodations for testing or lectures, please let
me know within the first two weeks of the semester. It is your
responsibility to contact Student Services and make special arrangements.
Most importantly given the shift to online teaching: if you have technical
or connectivity issues (e.g., no laptop, a poor internet connection, etc.) let
me know as quickly as possible!

Communication All announcements and slides will be posted on Canvas. If you want to
meet to discuss something, then please schedule an appointment at least
48 hours in advance.
Atmosphere Be respectful towards other students (and the lecturer!). We’re all in this
together, so let’s get along as best we can.
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Required Literature
There is one textbook for this course:

 Forallx: Cambridge

There is also a solutions book, containing model answers to the practice exercises. Both are
distributed under a Creative Commons license, so you are able to freely download the book, and
print as many copies as you like. Further, both are available on the course’s Canvas page.
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Lectures & Assignments

Week 1. Introduction & Background

Reading: forallx pp.1-13
Assignment: None
Topics:
a. Arguments
b. Validity & Soundness
c. Basic Symbolization

Week 2. Truth-Functional Logic

Reading: forallx pp. 14-30
Assignment: p.3 – All exercises; pp. 6 – all exercises; pp. 8-9 – all exercises
Topics:
a. The Connectives
b. Syntax of TFL
c. Use/Mention

Week 3. Evaluating TFL Sentences: Truth-Tables

Reading: forallx pp. 32-52
Assignment: p. 20-22 – all questions in A, C, and D; p. 26 – all questions in A-C
Topics:
a. Characteristic truth-tables
b. Complete truth-tables
c. Semantic concepts

Week 4. First-order Logic Part I

Reading: forallx pp. 54-72
Assignment: p. 40-41 – all even questions in A; p. 46 – all even exercises in B, C, & D;
p. 49 – all even exercises
Topics:
a. Building Blocks of FOL
b. Quantifiers
c. Many place-predicates and multiple quantifiers

Week 5. First-Order Logic Part II

Reading: forallx pp. 73-86
Assignment: pp. 52 – exercises 2-4 in A, B, & C: pp. 63-65 – all even questions in B &
C; pp. 70-72 – all odd questions in B
 Topics:
a. Identity
b. At least, at most, and exactly
c. Definite descriptions
d. FOL Sentences

Week 6. Interpretations
Reading: forallx pp. 88-105
Assignment: pp. 63-65 – all even questions in D; pp. 80-81 – all exercises in A, all odds
in C; p. 86 – all exercises
Topics:
a. Truth in FOL
b. Sematic Concepts
c. Using Interpretations

Week 7. Review
Reading: None
Assignment: pp.95-96 – all odd questions in B and C; p. 101-102 all even questions
Topics:
a. What have we done?!?!?

MIDTERM EXAM ON MATERIAL FROM LECTURES 1-7

Week 8. Natural Deduction for TFL Part I

Reading: forallx pp. 107-128
Assignment: None
Topics:
a. What’s the idea?
b. Basic Rules
c. Additional Rules

Week 9. Natural Deduction for TFL Part II

Reading: forallx pp. 129-136
Assignment: pp. 123-124 – all questions in A & B, all odds in C; p 127-8 – A, all odd
questions in B
Topics:
a. Proof-theoretic concepts
b. Proof strategies
c. Derived rules

Week 10. Natural Deduction for FOL Part I

Reading: forallx pp. 138-148
Assignment: pp. 130-1 – all odd questions in A-C, exercise D
Topics:
a. Basic Rules
b. Quantifier conversions

Week 11. Natural Deduction for FOL Part II

Reading: forallx pp 149-155
Assignment: pp. 144-146 – all questions in A & B, questions 1-5 in E, questions 1-3 in
G, questions 1-4 in H; pp. 147-148 – exercise B
 Topics:
a. Identity
b. Derived rules
c. Proof Theoretic & Semantic Concepts

Week 12. Metalogic

Reading: None
Assignment: forallx pp. 144-146 – questions 6-10 in E, questions 4-5 in G, questions 5-
8 in H; pp. 147-148 – all questions in A; pp. 150-1 – all odd questions in
A
Topics:
a. Induction
b. Substitution
c. Expressive Adequacy

Week 13. Basic Set Theory

Reading: None
Assignment: forallx pp. 130-131 – all even questions in A-C; pp.147-148 – questions 1-
3 in C; pp 150-151 – all even questions in A
Topics:
a. Sets & Members
b. Relations & Their Features
c. Functions
d. Set Size & Infinity

Week 14. Review

Reading: None
Assignment: forallx pp. 144-146 – all questions in D; pp. 147-148 – questions 4-6 in C;
pp. 150-151 – B & C
Topics:
a. What have we done, again?!?!?

FINAL EXAM ON MATERIALS FROM LECTURES 8-14

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Tutorials

The goals of our tutorials are twofold:

 To work through problem sets like those in the assignments/the exam;

 To give students the opportunity to ask questions about the course content

Attendance in the tutorials is expected, though will not be tracked.