A self-contained guide to pure inductive logic, the study of rational probability treated as a branch of mathematical logic.

Logic is a field studied mainly by researchers and students of philosophy, mathematics and computing. Inductive logic seeks to determine the extent to which the premisses of an argument entail its conclusion, aiming to provide a theory of how one should reason in the face of uncertainty. It has applications to decision making and artificial intelligence, as well as how scientists should reason when not in possession of the full facts. In this book, Jon Williamson embarks on a quest to find a general, reasonable, applicable inductive logic (GRAIL), all the while examining why pioneers such as Ludwig Wittgenstein and Rudolf Carnap did not entirely succeed in this task. Along the way he presents a general framework for the field, and reaches a new inductive logic, which builds upon recent developments in Bayesian epistemology (a theory about how strongly one should believe the various propositions that one can express). The book explores this logic in detail, discusses some key criticisms, and considers how it might be justified. Is this truly the GRAIL? Although the book presents new research, this material is well suited to being delivered as a series of lectures to students of philosophy, mathematics, or computing and doubles as an introduction to the field of inductive logic

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1971.

The Problem of Inductive Logic

This book collects the refereed proceedings of the 7th Indian Conference on Logic and Its Applications, ICLA 2017, held in Mumbai, India, in January 2017. The volume contains 13 full revised papers along with 4 invited talks presented at the conference. The aim of this conference series is to bring together researchers from a wide variety of fields in which formal logic plays a significant role. Areas of interest include mathematical and philosophical logic, computer science logic, foundations and philosophy of mathematics and the sciences, use of formal logic in areas of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence, logic and linguistics, and the relationship between logic and other branches of knowledge. Of special interest are studies in systems of logic in the Indian tradition, and historical research on logic.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Inductive Logic Programming, ILP 2004, held in Porto, Portugal, in September 2004. The 20 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected for inclusion in the book. The papers address all current topics in inductive logic programming, ranging from theoretical and methodological issues to advanced applications in various areas.

Edited in collaboration with FoLLI, the Association of Logic, Language and Information, this book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 4th Indian Conference on Logic and Its Applications, ICLA 2011, held in Delhi, India, in January 2011. The 14 revised full papers presented together with 3 invited talks were carefully reviewed and selected from 34 submissions. The papers present current research in all aspects of formal logic ranging from pure and applied logic to history of logic.

In recent years, mathematical logic has developed in many directions, the initial unity of its subject matter giving way to a myriad of seemingly unrelated areas. The articles collected here, which range from historical scholarship to recent research in geometric model theory, squarely address this development. These articles also connect to the diverse work of Väänänen, whose ecumenical approach to logic reflects the unity of the discipline.