Join the Club!

Still subscribed to this old course blog? Nice.

So, I'm trying to start up a school club -- the "Owning Our Ignorance" club -- devoted to fun and logic, in that order. Hmmm.... well, it won't really be about the kind of logic we did in class. I've put up a blog for it over here.

Check it out. Please join if you're interested.

Homework #Infinity

Homework #∞ is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, December 11th. Here are the assigned exercises:

• 1b and 1d on each of the following pages: 521-522, 523-524, 528, and 532-533.
  

Also, for those who don't know what a mashup is, you're in luck. You can start with one of the best ones out there:

(December 4th, from DJ Danger Mouse's Grey Album)

The internet has more to say about the Grey Album here.

Exam #2 & Derivation Guide

Exam #2 will be held at the beginning of class on Tuesday, December 4th. It lasts 50 minutes, and will cover derivations in sentential logic and translations in predicate logic. Also, below is the systematic approach to solving derivations we learned in class.

Derivation Guide: Work Backwards
1. What do we need? What do we got? Does what we need to derive appear EXACTLY AS IS anywhere in an ACCESSIBLE part* of any line above it?

• If you answer YES: Try to break down the sentence in which what you need appears in an accessible part. Use an ELIMINATION RULE on the main connective of that sentence.
• If you answer NO: Try to construct what you need. Use an INTRODUCTION RULE on the main connective of the sentence you're trying to derive.
  
• If you answer NO, but there isn't any connective in what you need to derive, then PUNT: use either disjunction elimination (if there is a disjunction in a line above) or negation elimination.
• If all other attempts to break down or construct fail, then PUNT (see above).
  

2. Flip it to the flap, then stick it: Check your derivation introduction and elimination rules (on the front flap of the textbook) to see how to set up the proper derivation above what you need to derive. Often, this involves creating SUBGOALS: new lines that you must now try to derive somehow.

3. Rinse and repeat: Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each new subgoal you create, until each and every subgoal you need to derive JUST IS a complete sentence in one of the lines above.


*Accessible parts of sentences: either side of a conjunction; either side of a biconditional; the RIGHT side of a conditional; neither side of a disjunction.

Homework #W+W

Homework #Whatever-plus-Whatever is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, December 4th. Here are the assigned exercises:

• pages 346-347: 2b, 2d, 2f, 2h, 2j, 2l, 2n, 3b, 3d, 3f, 3h, 3j, 3l, 3n, 3p

Flip it to the flap, then stick it!

Homework #W+2

There is no homework assignment this week. Everyone is getting full credit for whatever homework assignment we're up to now.

Get to nothing!

The Great Trashing of 2007

I had a fun weekend:

(See it all)

Homework #W+1

Homework #Whatever-plus-one is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, November 20th. Here are the assigned exercises:

• page 213: 3b, 3d, 3f, 3h, 3j
• page 279: 3b, 3d, 3j, 3l, 3r

Purple Monkey Dishwasher!

No Class November 6th

Just a reminder that we don't have class on Tuesday, November 6th, because it's Election Day.

Homework #Whatever

Homework #Whatever is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, November 13th. Here are the assigned exercises:

• pages 181-184: 1b, 1d, 1f, 1h, 2b, 2d, 2f.

Commence to jigglin'!

Homework #6

Homework #6 is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, October 30th. Here are the assigned problems from the textbook:

• page 164: 1b, 1d
• page 167: 16, 1d
• page 170: 1b, 1d
• page 173: 1b, 1d
• page 175: 1b, 1d

Gop!

Exam Overview

Thanks to Tahsin (who asked the lazy question that made me swoon), here's an overview of what to expect on the Exam on October 23rd.

The exam should last 50 minutes. In other words:
Format
(i) true/false or multiple choice
(ii) evaluating statements, sets, arguments.
(iii) short answers
(iv) translations (English to Sentential Logic)
(v) truth tables (testing consistency, validity, etc.)
(vi) derivations (SMALL SMALL SMALL portion of test)
(vii) Extra Credit

Content
Chapter 1: Logic Concepts
-Validity, Consistency, Logical Truths, Equivalence…
-study handout(s) (fix logically false definition)
-rigid definitions vs. informal meanings of words
-BEWARE OF THE CRAZY CASES! Validity checklist

Chapter 2: Sentential Logic Translations
-study ‘if/then’ (order matters)! “unless,” “provided that,” etc.
-‘Neither/nor'
-complicated translations: at least two, at most one, etc.

Chapter 3: Truth Tables
-Basic truth tables will be provided
-How do we set them up?
-How many rows?
-How do we approach them? Inside/out or small to big
-Testing t.f. truth, t.f. consistency, t.f. validity
-truth values under the main connectives are what matters
- ~(A v B) vs. (~A v B)

Chapter 5: Derivations
-tiny, tiny portion of the test!

Exam #1 and Homework #5

In case you forgot or weren't there, we decided in class to push back the date of the first exam. We'll now be taking it at the beginning of class on October 23rd.

Homework #5 is still due at the beginning of class on October 16th. Here are the assigned problems from the textbook:

• pages 108-109: 1f, 2b, 2d, 3b, 3d, 3f, 4b, 4d, 4f

Gleep glorp!

Homework #4

Here are the assigned problems to do from the textbook for Homework #4. It's due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, October 9th.

pages 92-93: 1b, 1d, 1h, 2b
pages 96-97: 2b, 2d, 2f
page 100: 1b, 1f, 1h, 2b, 2f
pages 107-108: 1b, 1d, 1h

Giddyup!

Skank

Congrats to Christina, Dara, and Austin for figuring out that the phrase "Shut your stinking trap" comes from a sketch on the Ben Stiller Show. It was, of course, the catchphrase of a surly sock puppet named Skank.

Pretty obvious, really.

Homework #3

Here are the assigned problems to do for Homework #3. This homework is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, October 2nd.

• page 48: 1h, 1j, 1L, 1n
• page 49: 5b, 5d, 5h, 5L
• page 58: 1b, 1d, 1f
• page 59: 3b, 3d, 3f, 3h

Git to gittin'!

Homework #2 & the Quiz

In case you didn't get the handout passed out in class, here's homework #2. It's due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, September 25th. (A printable version is available here.)

------------------------
Multiple Choice. Circle all answers that are correct. There can be more than one correct answer! Some, none, or all choices may be correct!

1. If an argument is valid and at least one of its premises is false, then
a) the argument must be unsound.
b) the premises must form a consistent set.
c) the conclusion must be logically indeterminate.
d) at least one premise is false.

2. If an argument is unsound, then
a) the argument must be invalid.
b) the argument is possibly valid.
c) the conclusion must be false.
d) at least one premise must be false.

3. If an argument is sound, then
a) its premises must form a consistent set.
b) its conclusion must be true.
c) its premises, together with its conclusion, must form a consistent set.
d) it is possible for there to be a false premise.

4. If the conclusion of an argument is true, then
a) the argument must be valid.
b) if the argument is sound, then it must be valid.
c) if the argument is valid, then it must be sound.
d) The conclusion is logically indeterminate.

5. If all the premises of an argument are true and its conclusion is false, then
a) It is possible that the argument is valid.
b) The argument must be invalid.
c) The premises must form a consistent set.
d) It is possible that the argument is sound.

True or False
___6. If a set of statements contains a logically true statement, it must be consistent.

___7. If a set of statements contains a logically false statement, it must be inconsistent.

___8. If an argument is sound, then its conclusion must be logically true.

___9. If an argument is sound, then its conclusion must be true.

___10. It’s possible for all members of an inconsistent set to be true (at the same time).

------------------------

Also, a reminder that we're having our first quiz on Tuesday, September 25th. Expect it to look like the first two homework assignments, as well as the group work we've done in class.

Cat Statements

What kind of statements are these?

Let me know in the comments.

Facebook Groups are the New Email Forwards

Easy guess, I know, but still:
Add Pluto Back to Planet Status

Oh, Facebook! What don't you do?

Homework #1: Statements & Sets

Homework #1 is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, September 18th. Answer the following problems on pages 22-24 of the textbook:

• 1b, 1d
• 2b, 2d, 2f, 2h, 2l
• 4h, 4l
• 5b, 5d, 5f
• 6d, 6j, 6l

Go to it!

1st Week References

Here are some of the things we discussed in class this week (click the blue links for more info):

-buy the textbook here
-dancing in films
-the movie Election
-comedian Dane Cook (thief?)
-confirmation bias
-the band The Killers
-NPR
-the TV show Arrested Development (Beads?!?)
-consensus decision-making
-the color blue

Did I forget anything? Let me know.