Symbolic Logic: A First Course

by Gary M. Hardegree

Symbolic A first course

Genres: Logic

418 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 1994

Reviews

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hardegree covers truth tables, sentential logic, and predicate logic in a simple and memorable way, with everyday language that is easy to understand. He gives the rules of his system of symbolic logic without using their traditional names for the most part. Most rules are named by the action that is performed in the inference; for example, instead of Addition, in which the reasoner has "P" and then infers "P v Q", Hardegree has "wedge in," and instead of modus ponens and modus tollens, he has "arrow out."

With the answers all given at the back of each section, the book offers an effective help in learning symbolic logic. I sometimes return to this book for practice and review; it works quite well for that.

[An Vo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear instructions. Clear explanation. I have no complaints

[Lucille Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid introduction or refresher to symbolic logic that's easy to read and follow. Definitely reintroduced me to the basic concepts and described them better than any other book on logic that I've ever read.

[Ronald Lett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A basic review of propositional and first-order predicate logic. The author engages the reader well, and offers down-to-earth examples for each new type of structure. Note that the text does not venture beyond basic predicate calculus: it is a good introductory text for students who may be unsure of the nature of mathematical proof, and would like to know what constitutes a sound argument to a mathematician.