Logics for Computer Science by Arindama Singh

by Arindama Singh

Designed primarily as an introductory text on logic for and in Computer Science, this well-organized book deals with almost all the basic concepts and techniques that are pertinent to the subject. It provides an excellent understanding of the logics used in computer science today. The book begins with the easiest of logics, the logic of propositions, and then it goes on to give a detailed coverage of first order logic and modal logics. The discussion revolves around logics from common sense as also formal syntax and semantics. Dr. Arindama Singh analyzes with consummate skill the various approaches to the proof theory of the logics, e.g. axiomatic systems, natural deduction systems, Gentzen systems, analytic tableau, and resolution. Along with the metaresults such as soundness, completeness and compactness, he deftly deals with an important application of logic, namely, verification of programs. The book gives the flavour of logic engineering through computation tree logic, a logic of model checking. The book concludes with a fairly detailed discussion on nonstandard logics including intuitionistic logic, Lukasiewicz logics, default logic, autoepistemic logic, and fuzzy logic. This student-friendly text, with an unusual clarity in the concepts and broad exposure to the subject, should prove to be a life-long companion for anyone who wants to understand the basic principles of logic and enjoy how logic works in Computer Science. Besides students of Computer Science, those offering courses in Mathematics and Philosophy would greatly benefit from this study. Designed primarily as an introductory text on logic for and in Computer Science, this well-organized book deals with almost all the basic concepts and techniques that are pertinent to the subject. It provides an excellent understanding of the logics used in computer science today. The book begins with the easiest of logics, the logic of propositions, and then it goes on to give a detailed coverage of first order logic and modal logics. The discussion revolves around logics from common sense as also formal syntax and semantics. Dr. Arindama Singh analyzes with consummate skill the various approaches to the proof theory of the logics, e.g. axiomatic systems, natural deduction systems, Gentzen systems, analytic tableau, and resolution. Along with the metaresults such as soundness, completeness and compactness, he deftly deals with an important application of logic, namely, verification of programs. The book gives the flavour of logic engineering through computation tree logic, a logic of model checking. The book concludes with a fairly detailed discussion on nonstandard logics including intuitionistic logic, Lukasiewicz logics, default logic, autoepistemic logic, and fuzzy logic. This student-friendly text, with an unusual clarity in the concepts and broad exposure to the subject, should prove to be a life-long companion for anyone who wants to understand the basic principles of logic and enjoy how logic works in Computer Science. Besides students of Computer Science, those offering courses in Mathematics and Philosophy would greatly benefit from this study.

Paperback

First published August 30, 2004

Reviews

[Sunita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books on theory of computation.
It is very suitable for self-study, as a course book.
It consists of an amazing number and variety of problems.
Around one-fourth of them have answers given at the end of the book.
Congrats to the author. He/she made theory of computation accessible to all of us.