Logics and Reasoning

Course objectives

"General goals: The objective of the course is to introduce students to the fundamental results and methods of Mathematical Logic with a special attention to their applications in Computer Science. Specific goals: The specific objective of the course is twofold. In the first place the course is meant to offer a rigorous knoweldge and an ability to apply those methods and results of Mathematical Logic that have numerous applications in many areas of Computer Science. In the second place the aim is to endow the student with a set of fundamental tools in the perspective of doing active research in theoretical Computer Science. Knowledge and understanding: The course aims at endowing the student with a rigorous in-depth knowledge of the course topics through the study of poofs and the production of rigorous arguments in homework assignments. Particular attention is devoted to conceptual motivation, rigorous proofs and applicability of results and methods. Applying knowledge and understanding: The methods of Mathematical Logic play a fundamental role in many areas of Computer Science such as Complexity Theory, Database Theory, Artifical Intelligence. The aim of the course is to stimulate in the student the ability to apply the methods and the results in various contexts of Computer Science. Critical and judgmental abilities: Active participation to the course is encouraged. Autonomous judgement is exercised through homework assignments and problem-solving tasks. Communication skills: The student has the option to give a class presentation of a result as final exam in the form of an academic scientific talk. Learning ability: The analysis and formalization methods acquired during the course find application in different areas of Computer Science. The formalization and problem-solving exercise during the course reinforces the ability to learn and acquire new skills."

Channel 1
GIUSEPPE PERELLI Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
Part 1 (Propositional calculus and First Order Logic) - Foundations: Propositional calculus, structures and models. Theories. Definability, completeness, decidability, examples of complete theories, quantifier elimination, isomorphism and elementary equivalence of structures. - Finite Model Theory: expressibility of queries in various logics. Methods to prove the non-expressibility of queries, Ehrenfeucht-Fraissé games, back and forth conditions, Gaifman locality, logical characterization of complexity classes (Fagin's Theorem on NP). - Undecidability: undecidability of validity (Church and Trakhtenbrot Theorems), undecidability of arithmetic truth (Gödel Theorems), Arithmetic Hierarchy, computation with oracles, Post's Theorems, theorems with computable instances without computable solutions (König, Ramsey, Hindman Theorems). Part 2 (Modal Logic) - Basic Concepts: Relational Structures; Modal Languages; Models and Frames; General Frames; Modal Consequence Relations; Normal Modal Logics - Models: Invariance Results; Bisimulation; Finite Models; The Standard Translation - Frames: Frame Definability; Frame Definability and Second-Order Logic: Definable and Undefinable Properties; Finite Frames; Automatic First-Order Correspondence
Prerequisites
Basics of Set Theory and Discrete Mathematics.
Books
1. Introduction to Mathematical Logic, Elliot Mendelson (https://www.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~krajicek/mendelson.pdf) 2. A concise introduction to Mathematical Logic, W. Rautenberg (Springer 2006) 3. Elements of Finite Model Theory, L. Libkin (https://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/libkin/fmt/fmt.pdf) 4. Modal Logic, P. Blackburn, M. de Rijke, Y. Venema (Cambridge University Press) 5. Reasoning about Knowledge, R. Fagin, J. Halpern, Y. Moses, M. Vardi (MIT Press)
Frequency
Non mandatory but strongly reommended, especially for completing the Homework.
Exam mode
A set of Homework taken during the course (40%) and a final exam (60%) with a class presentation on a topic related to those presented during the course.
Lesson mode
Face to face lessons.
LORENZO CARLUCCI Lecturers' profile
  • Lesson code10620665
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CourseComputer Science
  • CurriculumSingle curriculum
  • Year1st year
  • Semester2nd semester
  • SSDINF/01
  • CFU6