Logic and Information

by Devlin, Keith

• ISBN13: 9780521499712
• ISBN10: 0521499712
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1995-07-01
• Publisher: Cambridge Univ Pr

Summary

Intelligence can be characterised both as the ability to absorb and process information and as the ability to reason. Humans and other animals have both of these abilities to a greater or lesser degree, but the search for artificial intelligence has been hampered by our inability to create a theory that covers both of these characteristics. In this provocative and ground-breaking book, Professor Keith Devlin argues that to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of intelligence and knowledge acquisition, we must broaden our concept of logic. For these purposes, Devlin introduces the concept of the infon, a quantum of information, and merges it with situations, a mathematical construction generalising the notion of sets developed by Barwise and Perry at Stanford University in order to study the meaning of natural languages. He develops and describes the theory here in general and intuitive terms, and discusses its relevance to a variety of concerns such as artificial intelligence, cognition, natural language and communication.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	vii
Preface	ix
Preface to the Paperback Edition	xiii
Information	1	(13)
Information, Situations, and Infons	14	(35)
Situation Theory	49	(37)
Meaning and Constraints	86	(25)
Some Logical Issues	111	(34)
Mental States	145	(42)
Perception and Action	187	(29)
Situation Semantics	216	(36)
Topics in Situation Semantics	252	(43)
Retrospect and Prospect	295	(7)
References	302	(2)
Index	304	(4)
Index of Symbols	308