Boolean Algebra

Self-taught mathematician and father of Boolean algebra, George Boole (1815–1864) published A Treatise on the Calculus of Finite Differences in 1860 as a sequel to his Treatise on Differential Equations (1859). Both books became instant classics that were used as textbooks for many years and eventually became the basis for our contemporary digital computer systems. The book discusses direct theories of finite differences and integration, linear equations, variations of a constant, and equations of partial and mixed differences. Boole also includes exercises for daring students to ponder, and also supplies answers. Long a proponent of positioning logic firmly in the camp of mathematics rather than philosophy, Boole was instrumental in developing a notational system that allowed logical statements to be symbolically represented by algebraic equations. One of history's most insightful mathematicians, Boole is compelling reading for today's student of logic and Boolean thinking.

Self-taught mathematician and father of Boolean algebra, George Boole (1815–1864) published An Investigation of the Laws of Thought in 1854. In this highly original investigation of the fundamental laws of human reasoning, a sequel to ideas he had explored in earlier writings, Boole uses the symbolic language of mathematics to establish a method to examine the nature of the human mind using logic and the theory of probabilities. Boole considers language not just as a mode of expression, but as a system one can use to understand the human mind. In the first 12 chapters, he sets down the rules necessary to represent logic in this unique way. Then he analyses a variety of arguments and propositions of various writers from Aristotle to Spinoza. One of history's most insightful mathematicians, Boole is compelling reading for today's student of intellectual history and the science of the mind.