Re:Open Logic Project: An Open-Source, Collaborative Logic Text
by Projectiboga on Sunday August 12, 2018 @01:37PM
(#17745404)
If you did well in geometry you should be fine with logic.
They're very similar in the pattern of working out proofs.
That's what I remember over 30th years ago in intro to logic (philosophy course not math or comp-sci) being similar to my 9th grade geometry class proofs.
The skill to work on in an intro class is to make sentences out of the logic propositions and then work on making ordinary sentences into the logic notation.
Re:Open Logic Project: An Open-Source, Collaborative Logic Text
by ihm on Sunday August 12, 2018 @04:36PM
(#17746290)
Wow! Reading the table of contents, this seems like a pretty complete book. Most introductions to logic neglect the entire area of intuitionistic logic and proof theory so it's nice to see one that covers that along with the usual infinitarian stuff (FOL, model theory, computability, etc.)
Re:Open Logic Project: An Open-Source, Collaborative Logic Text
by roneythomas6 on Sunday August 12, 2018 @02:54AM
(#17743278)
Thanks for the link. Definitely will be reading the book. I am going to university this fall. Of all the courses I will be taking this year. Proofs seem the most hardest. Is there any tips to tackle this?
Re:Open Logic Project: An Open-Source, Collaborative Logic Text
by rectang on Sunday August 12, 2018 @11:55AM
(#17744888)
The mindset necessary for proofs is very different from how most people learn mathematics. So long as you can get a small preview of that mindset, you'll be ahead of the game.
I'd suggest choosing a source which seems "too easy", or a curriculum which is "too short". It will be enough.
Additionally, as when learning anything mathematical, don't expect too much help from Wikipedia. Pedagogy often involves telling small lies to students at first, then clearing them up later. Wikipedia has a bias towards being correct, which means that the articles can't tell those small lies and the explanations are difficult for non-experts to understand.
Re:Open Logic Project: An Open-Source, Collaborative Logic Text
by markhkim on Sunday August 12, 2018 @12:02PM
(#17744923)
Congratulations on graduating high school. That's quite exciting, and I'm sure you'll love university.
The about page states that the book is for "an intermediate level (i.e., after an introductory formal logic course)." It'd be advisable to look elsewhere first if you don't have any exposure to propositional logic. For example, the first eight chapters of MIT's Mathematics for Computer Science textbook should be sufficient: https://courses.csail.mit.edu/6.042/spring17/mcs.pdf
The standard tip for reading mathematical texts is twofold: always try to come up with a proof before reading the one supplied in the text, and never ignore the problem sets. As Pólya famously put it, mathematics is not a spectator sport.
Re:Open Logic Project: An Open-Source, Collaborative Logic Text
by fmoralesc on Sunday August 12, 2018 @10:47AM
(#17744568)
For independent study a leaner approach might be best (the open logic textbook is meant to be remixed to form a course, so it includes a lot of material). I think Daniel Velleman's "How to Prove It" is a good textbook for learning to deal with proofs, plenty of exercises there and it has a more practical approach (it is intended for CS and math students). Volker Halbach's "The Logic Manual" is good, as is Restall's "Logic", although both are oriented to philosophy students.
They're very similar in the pattern of working out proofs.
That's what I remember over 30th years ago in intro to logic (philosophy course not math or comp-sci) being similar to my 9th grade geometry class proofs.
The skill to work on in an intro class is to make sentences out of the logic propositions and then work on making ordinary sentences into the logic notation.
Additionally, as when learning anything mathematical, don't expect too much help from Wikipedia. Pedagogy often involves telling small lies to students at first, then clearing them up later. Wikipedia has a bias towards being correct, which means that the articles can't tell those small lies and the explanations are difficult for non-experts to understand.
The about page states that the book is for "an intermediate level (i.e., after an introductory formal logic course)." It'd be advisable to look elsewhere first if you don't have any exposure to propositional logic. For example, the first eight chapters of MIT's Mathematics for Computer Science textbook should be sufficient: https://courses.csail.mit.edu/6.042/spring17/mcs.pdf
The standard tip for reading mathematical texts is twofold: always try to come up with a proof before reading the one supplied in the text, and never ignore the problem sets. As Pólya famously put it, mathematics is not a spectator sport.
EDIT: s/"How to Solve It"/"How to Prove It".
Velleman wrote "How to Prove It": https://www.amazon.com/How-Prove-Structured-Approach-2nd/dp/...
Polya wrote "How to Solve It": https://www.amazon.com/How-Solve-Mathematical-Princeton-Scie...