Return-Path: Delivery-Date: Received: from leopard.cs.byu.edu (no rfc931) by swan.cl.cam.ac.uk with SMTP (PP-6.5) outside ac.uk; Thu, 14 Oct 1993 17:33:02 +0100 Received: by leopard.cs.byu.edu (1.37.109.4/16.2) id AA09212; Thu, 14 Oct 93 10:19:18 -0600 Sender: info-hol-request@leopard.cs.byu.edu Errors-To: info-hol-request@leopard.cs.byu.edu Precedence: bulk Received: from dworshak.cs.uidaho.edu by leopard.cs.byu.edu with SMTP (1.37.109.4/16.2) id AA09208; Thu, 14 Oct 93 10:19:14 -0600 Received: from swan.cl.cam.ac.uk by dworshak.cs.uidaho.edu with SMTP (1.37.109.4/16.2) id AA16414; Thu, 14 Oct 93 09:19:10 -0700 Received: from guillemot.cl.cam.ac.uk (user jrh (rfc931)) by swan.cl.cam.ac.uk with SMTP (PP-6.5) to cl; Thu, 14 Oct 1993 17:16:45 +0100 To: info-hol@cs.uidaho.edu Subject: Re: Logic textbooks for beginners In-Reply-To: Your message of "Mon, 11 Oct 93 22:19:10 PDT." <9310120519.AA27975@maui.cs.ucla.edu> Date: Thu, 14 Oct 93 17:16:40 +0100 From: John Harrison Message-Id: <"swan.cl.cam.:058700:931014161648"@cl.cam.ac.uk> Ching Tsun says: > What are the better logic textbooks for computer science majors at the > freshman level? I am particularly interested in those books that not only > talks about what one can *say* with logic formulas, but also illustrates how > to *manipulate* logic formulas in some formal system (say, natural > deduction). It would be even better if there are accompanying softwares. > It's OK if no "big" theorems (say, the completeness theorem) are proved. > But it is important for the book to discuss the relevance of logic to > computer science, preferably via convincing examples. One book which may well fit your description, in that it's probably quite elementary and includes accompanying software, is the following (extract from our library catalogue): Author: Barwise, Jon, 1942- Title: The language of first-order logic: including the program Tarski's world/ Jon Barwise and John Etchemendy Menlo Park, CA: CSLI, 1990 xiii,259p; 23cm + computer disk (3.5in) Series title: CSLI lecture notes; 23 Notes: Program for the Macintosh computer Subjects: Tarski's World (Computer program) First-order logic Other entries: Etchemendy, John, 1952- Location: [Univ. Lib.] 192.c.99.17 Location: [Univ. Lib.] AV.23.229 (computer disk) I should stress however that I've never looked inside its covers, so don't take this as a definite recommendation. As far as general logic textbooks go, I find Enderton's to be the most elegant and readable. But it sounds as if you are looking for something rather different. John.