Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Essay on a Problem in the Doctrine of Chances', 'The Analyst' and 'An Introduction to Modal Logic'

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6 ideas

4. Formal Logic / B. Propositional Logic PL / 2. Tools of Propositional Logic / b. Terminology of PL
A 'value-assignment' (V) is when to each variable in the set V assigns either the value 1 or the value 0 [Hughes/Cresswell]
     Full Idea: A 'value-assignment' (V) is when to each variable in the set V assigns either the value 1 or the value 0.
     From: GE Hughes/M Cresswell (An Introduction to Modal Logic [1968], Ch.1)
     A reaction: In the interpreted version of the logic, 1 and 0 would become T (true) and F (false). The procedure seems to be called nowadays a 'valuation'.
4. Formal Logic / B. Propositional Logic PL / 2. Tools of Propositional Logic / d. Basic theorems of PL
The Law of Transposition says (P→Q) → (¬Q→¬P) [Hughes/Cresswell]
     Full Idea: The Law of Transposition says that (P→Q) → (¬Q→¬P).
     From: GE Hughes/M Cresswell (An Introduction to Modal Logic [1968], Ch.1)
     A reaction: That is, if the consequent (Q) of a conditional is false, then the antecedent (P) must have been false.
4. Formal Logic / B. Propositional Logic PL / 4. Soundness of PL
The rules preserve validity from the axioms, so no thesis negates any other thesis [Hughes/Cresswell]
     Full Idea: An axiomatic system is most naturally consistent iff no thesis is the negation of another thesis. It can be shown that every axiom is valid, that the transformation rules are validity-preserving, and if a wff α is valid, then ¬α is not valid.
     From: GE Hughes/M Cresswell (An Introduction to Modal Logic [1968], Ch.1)
     A reaction: [The labels 'soundness' and 'consistency' seem interchangeable here, with the former nowadays preferred]
5. Theory of Logic / K. Features of Logics / 4. Completeness
A system is 'weakly' complete if all wffs are derivable, and 'strongly' if theses are maximised [Hughes/Cresswell]
     Full Idea: To say that an axiom system is 'weakly complete' is to say that every valid wff of the system is derivable as a thesis. ..The system is 'strongly complete' if it cannot have any more theses than it has without falling into inconsistency.
     From: GE Hughes/M Cresswell (An Introduction to Modal Logic [1968], Ch.1)
     A reaction: [They go on to say that Propositional Logic is strongly complete, but Modal Logic is not]
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 5. The Infinite / k. Infinitesimals
Infinitesimals are ghosts of departed quantities [Berkeley]
     Full Idea: The infinitesimals are the ghosts of departed quantities.
     From: George Berkeley (The Analyst [1734]), quoted by David Bostock - Philosophy of Mathematics 4.3
     A reaction: [A famous phrase, but as yet no context for it]
14. Science / C. Induction / 6. Bayes's Theorem
The probability of two events is the first probability times the second probability assuming the first [Bayes]
     Full Idea: The probability that two events will both happen is the probability of the first [multiplied by] the probability of the second on the supposition that the first happens.
     From: Thomas Bayes (Essay on a Problem in the Doctrine of Chances [1763]), quoted by Dorothy Edgington - Conditionals (Stanf) 3.1