Universal Algebra Seminar

Stanley Burris, Pure Mathematics, University of Waterloo

"An Introduction to Boole's Algebra of Logic for Classes"

Boole's mysterious algebra of logic, based on the algebra of numbers and idempotent variables, has only been properly understood and justified in the last 40 years, more than a century after Boole published his most famous work, Laws of Thought. In this talk an elementary and natural development of Boole's system, from his partial algebra models up to his four main theorems, will be presented.

This presentation is a trial run for the talks I plan to give at the end of August in Cork, Ireland, at the bicentennial celebration of George Boole's birth.