A concise and essential resource for basic logic concepts, methods and information.
The book is an excellent resource for the working mathematical scientist. Graduate students, practitioners and professionals in computer science and engineering, or the systems scientist who needs a quick sketch of a key idea from logic, will find it in this self-contained, accessible, and easy-to-use reference.
Logic is, and should be, the core subject area of modern mathemat ics. The blueprint for twentieth century mathematical thought, thanks to Hilbert and Bourbaki, is the axiomatic development of the subject. As a result, logic plays a central conceptual role. At the same time, mathematical logic has grown into one of the most recondite areas of mathematics. Most of modern logic is inaccessible to all but the special ist. Yet there is a need for many mathematical scientists-not just those engaged in mathematical research-to become conversant with the key ideas of logic. The Handbook of Mathematical Logic, edited by Jon Bar wise, is in point of fact a handbook written by logicians for other mathe maticians. It was, at the time of its writing, encyclopedic, authoritative, and up-to-the-moment. But it was, and remains, a comprehensive and authoritative book for the cognoscenti. The encyclopedic Handbook of Logic in Computer Science by Abramsky, Gabbay, and Maibaum is a wonderful resource for the professional. But it is overwhelming for the casual user. There is need for a book that introduces important logic terminology and concepts to the working mathematical scientist who has only a passing acquaintance with logic. Thus the present work has a different target audience. The intent of this handbook is to present the elements of modern logic, including many current topics, to the reader having only basic mathe matical literacy.
"This is really what it promises to be-a good handbook: supple, self-contained, providing the necessary and sufficient working resources . . . it is more than [one] expect[s]: the rigor of usefulness and conciseness exceeds or equals . . . the pleasure of reading it."
-Zentralblatt Math
