Methods in Mathematical Logic

This is a compact mtroduction to some of the pnncipal tOpICS of mathematical logic . In the belief that beginners should be exposed to the most natural and easiest proofs, I have used free-swinging set-theoretic methods. The significance of a demand for constructive proofs can be evaluated only after a certain amount of experience with mathematical logic has been obtained. If we are to be expelled from "Cantor's paradise" (as nonconstructive set theory was called by Hilbert), at least we should know what we are missing.

This book is intended as an undergraduate senior level or beginning graduate level text for mathematical logic. There are virtually no prere­ quisites, although a familiarity with notions encountered in a beginning course in abstract algebra such as groups, rings, and fields will be useful in providing some motivation for the topics in Part III.

As computer software becomes more complex, the question of how its correctness can be assured grows ever more critical. Formal logic embodied in computer programs is an important part of the answer to this problem.

This Festschrift was published in honor of Egon Börger on the occasion of his 75th birthday.
It acknowledges Prof. Börger's inspiration as a scientist, author, mentor, and community organizer. Dedicated to a pioneer in the fields of logic and computer science, Egon Börger's research interests are unusual in scope, from programming languages to hardware architectures, software architectures, control systems, workflow and interaction patterns, business processes, web applications, and concurrent systems.