Logic and Information

Description

In this provocative and ground-breaking book, Keith Devlin argues that in order to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of intelligence and knowledge acquisition, we must broaden our concept of logic. Classical logic, beginning with the work of Aristotle, has developed into a powerful and rigorous mathematical theory with many applications in mathematics and computer science, but it has proved woefully inadequate in the search for artificial intelligence. The new kind of logic, also mathematically based, outlined by Professor Devlin is the culmination of collaborative research among some of the world's leading logicians, philosophers, linguists, psychologists, and computer scientists. It introduces the concepts of infon, a quantum of information, and situations, a dynamical generalization of sets, and is capable of handlng the issues involved in human communication, thought, speech, and machine information processing.

'It is exciting to see a mathematician of Devlin's calibre joining the endeavour, and wonderful to have someone with his expository abilities explaining the work to others. His book Logic and Information is an important milestone in fulfilling this old hope.' Jon Barwise '... the fascinating account of a mathematician's views on how true mathematics - and not just a formalisation of it - can be used to model reality.' New Scientist ' ... can be recommended to anyone who has recognized the need for a better understanding of the nature of information.' The Computer Journal 'The ideas in this fascinating, challenging, but speculative book are set forth with clarity and wit that does them justice.' D. V. Feldman, Choice