This book examines how epistemology was reinvented by Ibn Sina, an influential philosopher-scientist of the classical Islamic world who was known to the West by the Latinised name Avicenna. It explains his theory of knowledge in which intentionality acts as an interaction between the mind and the world. This, in turn, led Ibn Sina to distinguish an operation of intentionality specific to the generation of numbers. The author argues that Ibn Sina's transformation of philosophy is one of the major stages in the de-hellinisation movement of the Greek heritage that was set off by the advent of the Arabic-Islamic civilisation. Readers first learn about Ibn Sina's unprecedented investigation into the concept of the number and his criticism of such Greek thought as Plato's realism, Pythagoreans' empiricism, and Ari stotle's conception of existence. Next, coverage sets out the basics of Ibn Sina's theory of knowledge needed for the construction of numbers. It describes how intentionality turns out to be key in showing the ontological dependence of numbers as well as even more critical to their construction. In describing the various mental operations that make mathematical objects intentional entities, Ibn Sina developed powerful arguments and subtle analyses to show us the extent our mental life depends on intentionality. This monograph thoroughly explores the epistemic dimension of this concept, which, the author believes, can also explain the actual genesis and evolution of mathematics by the human mind.

This book addresses two-person zero-sum finite games in which the payoffs in any situation are expressed with fuzzy numbers. The purpose of this book is to develop a suite of effective and efficient linear programming models and methods for solving matrix games with payoffs in fuzzy numbers. Divided into six chapters, it discusses the concepts of solutions of matrix games with payoffs of intervals, along with their linear programming models and methods. Furthermore, it is directly relevant to the research field of matrix games under uncertain economic management. The book offers a valuable resource for readers involved in theoretical research and practical applications from a range of different fields including game theory, operational research, management science, fuzzy mathematical programming, fuzzy mathematics, industrial engineering, business and social economics.

This book is a comprehensive, systematic survey of the synthesis problem, and of region theory which underlies its solution, covering the related theory, algorithms, and applications. The authors focus on safe Petri nets and place/transition nets (P/T-nets), treating synthesis as an automated process which, given behavioural specifications or partial specifications of a system to be realized, decides whether the specifications are feasible, and then produces a Petri net realizing them exactly, or if this is not possible produces a Petri net realizing an optimal approximation of the specifications. In Part I the authors introduce elementary net synthesis. In Part II they explain variations of elementary net synthesis and the unified theory of net synthesis. The first three chapters of Part III address the linear algebraic structure of regions, synthesis of P/T-nets from finite initialized transition systems, and the synthesis of unbounded P/T-nets. Finally, the last chapter in Part III and the chapters in Part IV cover more advanced topics and applications: P/T-net with the step firing rule, extracting concurrency from transition systems, process discovery, supervisory control, and the design of speed-independent circuits. Most chapters conclude with exercises, and the book is a valuable reference for both graduate students of computer science and electrical engineering and researchers and engineers in this domain.

Gerhard Gentzen has been described as logic's lost genius, whom Goedel called a better logician than himself. This work comprises articles by leading proof theorists, attesting to Gentzen's enduring legacy to mathematical logic and beyond. The contributions range from philosophical reflections and re-evaluations of Gentzen's original consistency proofs to the most recent developments in proof theory. Gentzen founded modern proof theory. His sequent calculus and natural deduction system beautifully explain the deep symmetries of logic. They underlie modern developments in computer science such as automated theorem proving and type theory.

In this volume, the author investigates and argues for, a particular answer to the question: What is the right way to logically analyze modalities from natural language within formal languages? The answer is: by formalizing modal expressions in terms of predicates. But, as in the case of truth, the most intuitive modal principles lead to paradox once the modal notions are conceived as predicates. The book discusses the philosophical interpretation of these modal paradoxes and argues that any satisfactory approach to modality will have to face the paradoxes independently of the grammatical category of the modal notion. By systematizing modal principles with respect to their joint consistency and inconsistency, Stern provides an overview of the options and limitations of the predicate approach to modality that may serve as a useful starting point for future work on predicate approaches to modality. Stern also develops a general strategy for constructing philosophically attractive theories of modal notions conceived as predicates. The idea is to characterize the modal predicate by appeal to its interaction with the truth predicate. This strategy is put to use by developing the modal theories Modal Friedman-Sheard and Modal Kripke-Feferman.

This monograph introduces and explores the notions of a commutator equation and the equationally-defined commutator from the perspective of abstract algebraic logic. An account of the commutator operation associated with equational deductive systems is presented, with an emphasis placed on logical aspects of the commutator for equational systems determined by quasivarieties of algebras. The author discusses the general properties of the equationally-defined commutator, various centralization relations for relative congruences, the additivity and correspondence properties of the equationally-defined commutator and its behavior in finitely generated quasivarieties. Presenting new and original research not yet considered in the mathematical literature, The Equationally-Defined Commutator will be of interest to professional algebraists and logicians, as well as graduate students and other researchers interested in problems of modern algebraic logic.

The topic of this book sits at the interface of the theory of higher categories (in the guise of ( ,1)-categories) and the theory of properads. Properads are devices more general than operads and enable one to encode bialgebraic, rather than just (co)algebraic, structures. The text extends both the Joyal-Lurie approach to higher categories and the Cisinski-Moerdijk-Weiss approach to higher operads, and provides a foundation for a broad study of the homotopy theory of properads. This work also serves as a complete guide to the generalised graphs which are pervasive in the study of operads and properads. A preliminary list of potential applications and extensions comprises the final chapter. Infinity Properads and Infinity Wheeled Properads is written for mathematicians in the fields of topology, algebra, category theory, and related areas. It is written roughly at the second year graduate level, and assumes a basic knowledge of category theory.

Starting with a simple formulation accessible to all mathematicians, this second edition is designed to provide a thorough introduction to nonstandard analysis. Nonstandard analysis is now a well-developed, powerful instrument for solving open problems in almost all disciplines of mathematics; it is often used as a 'secret weapon' by those who know the technique. This book illuminates the subject with some of the most striking applications in analysis, topology, functional analysis, probability and stochastic analysis, as well as applications in economics and combinatorial number theory. The first chapter is designed to facilitate the beginner in learning this technique by starting with calculus and basic real analysis. The second chapter provides the reader with the most important tools of nonstandard analysis: the transfer principle, Keisler's internal definition principle, the spill-over principle, and saturation. The remaining chapters of the book study different fields for applications; each begins with a gentle introduction before then exploring solutions to open problems. All chapters within this second edition have been reworked and updated, with several completely new chapters on compactifications and number theory. Nonstandard Analysis for the Working Mathematician will be accessible to both experts and non-experts, and will ultimately provide many new and helpful insights into the enterprise of mathematics.

This book features survey and research papers from The Abel Symposium 2011: Algebras, quivers and representations, held in Balestrand, Norway 2011. It examines a very active research area that has had a growing influence and profound impact in many other areas of mathematics like, commutative algebra, algebraic geometry, algebraic groups and combinatorics. This volume illustrates and extends such connections with algebraic geometry, cluster algebra theory, commutative algebra, dynamical systems and triangulated categories. In addition, it includes contributions on further developments in representation theory of quivers and algebras. Algebras, Quivers and Representations is targeted at researchers and graduate students in algebra, representation theory and triangulate categories.

This is the most comprehensive survey of the mathematical life of the legendary Paul Erdos (1913-1996), one of the most versatile and prolific mathematicians of our time. For the first time, all the main areas of Erdos' research are covered in a single project. Because of overwhelming response from the mathematical community, the project now occupies over 1000 pages, arranged into two volumes. These volumes contain both high level research articles as well as key articles that survey some of the cornerstones of Erdos' work, each written by a leading world specialist in the field. A special chapter "Early Days", rare photographs, and art related to Erdos complement this striking collection. A unique contribution is the bibliography on Erdos' publications: the most comprehensive ever published. This new edition, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Paul Erdos' birth, contains updates on many of the articles from the two volumes of the first edition, several new articles from prominent mathematicians, a new introduction, and more biographical information about Paul Erdos with an updated list of publications. The second volume contains chapters on graph theory and combinatorics, extremal and Ramsey theory, and a section on infinity that covers Erdos' research on set theory. All of these chapters are essentially updated, particularly the extremal theory chapter that contains a survey of flag algebras, a new technique for solving extremal problems.

This volume considers the computational complexity of determining whether a system of equations over a fixed algebra A has a solution. It examines in detail the two problems this leads to: SysTermSat(A) and SysPolSat(A), in which equations are built out of terms or polynomials, respectively. The book characterizes those algebras for which SysPolSat can be solved in a polynomial time. So far, studies and their outcomes have not covered algebras that generate a variety admitting type 1 in the sense of Tame Congruence Theory. Since unary algebras admit only type 1, this book focuses on these algebras to tackle the main problem. It discusses several aspects of unary algebras and proves that the Constraint Satisfaction Problem for relational structures is polynomially equivalent to SysTermSat over unary algebras. The book's final chapters discuss partial characterizations, present conclusions, and describe the problems that are still open.

This monograph considers several well-known mathematical theorems and asks the question, "Why prove it again?" while examining alternative proofs. It explores the different rationales mathematicians may have for pursuing and presenting new proofs of previously established results, as well as how they judge whether two proofs of a given result are different. While a number of books have examined alternative proofs of individual theorems, this is the first that presents comparative case studies of other methods for a variety of different theorems. The author begins by laying out the criteria for distinguishing among proofs and enumerates reasons why new proofs have, for so long, played a prominent role in mathematical practice. He then outlines various purposes that alternative proofs may serve. Each chapter that follows provides a detailed case study of alternative proofs for particular theorems, including the Pythagorean Theorem, the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic, Desargues' Theorem, the Prime Number Theorem, and the proof of the irreducibility of cyclotomic polynomials. Why Prove It Again? will appeal to a broad range of readers, including historians and philosophers of mathematics, students, and practicing mathematicians. Additionally, teachers will find it to be a useful source of alternative methods of presenting material to their students.

The rapidly expanding area of structural graph theory uses ideas of connectivity to explore various aspects of graph theory and vice versa. It has links with other areas of mathematics, such as design theory and is increasingly used in such areas as computer networks where connectivity algorithms are an important feature. Although other books cover parts of this material, none has a similarly wide scope. Ortrud R. Oellermann (Winnipeg), internationally recognised for her substantial contributions to structural graph theory, acted as academic consultant for this volume, helping shape its coverage of key topics. The result is a collection of thirteen expository chapters, each written by acknowledged experts. These contributions have been carefully edited to enhance readability and to standardise the chapter structure, terminology and notation throughout. An introductory chapter details the background material in graph theory and network flows and each chapter concludes with an extensive list of references.

Algebraic logic is a subject in the interface between logic, algebra and geometry, it has strong connections with category theory and combinatorics. Tarski's quest for finding structure in logic leads to cylindric-like algebras as studied in this book, they are among the main players in Tarskian algebraic logic. Cylindric algebra theory can be viewed in many ways: as an algebraic form of definability theory, as a study of higher-dimensional relations, as an enrichment of Boolean Algebra theory, or, as logic in geometric form ("cylindric" in the name refers to geometric aspects). Cylindric-like algebras have a wide range of applications, in, e.g., natural language theory, data-base theory, stochastics, and even in relativity theory. The present volume, consisting of 18 survey papers, intends to give an overview of the main achievements and new research directions in the past 30 years, since the publication of the Henkin-Monk-Tarski monographs. It is dedicated to the memory of Leon Henkin.

Action theory is the object of growing attention in a variety of scientific disciplines and this is the first volume to offer a synthetic view of the range of approaches possible in the topic. The volume focuses on the nexus of formal action theory with a startlingly diverse set of subjects, which range from logic, linguistics, artificial intelligence and automata theory to jurisprudence, deontology and economics. It covers semantic, mathematical and logical aspects of action, showing how the problem of action breaks the boundaries of traditional branches of logic located in syntactics and semantics and now lies on lies on the borderline between logical pragmatics and praxeology. The chapters here focus on specialized tasks in formal action theory, beginning with a thorough description and formalization of the language of action and moving through material on the differing models of action theory to focus on probabilistic models, the relations of formal action theory to deontic logic and its key applications in algorithmic and programming theory. The coverage thus fills a notable lacuna in the literary corpus and offers solid formal underpinning in cognitive science by approaching the problem of cognition as a composite action of mind.

This second volume of a collection of papers offers new perspectives and challenges in the study of logic. It is presented in honor of the fiftieth birthday of Jean-Yves Beziau. The papers touch upon a wide range of topics including paraconsistent logic, quantum logic, geometry of oppositions, categorical logic, computational logic, fundamental logic notions (identity, rule, quantification) and history of logic (Leibniz, Peirce, Hilbert). The volume gathers personal recollections about Jean-Yves Beziau and an autobiography, followed by 25 papers written by internationally distinguished logicians, mathematicians, computer scientists, linguists and philosophers, including Irving Anellis, Dov Gabbay, Ivor Grattan-Guinness, Istvan Nemeti, Henri Prade. These essays will be of interest to all students and researchers interested in the nature and future of logic.

This book explores the limits of our knowledge. The author shows how uncertainty and indefiniteness not only define the borders confining our understanding, but how they feed into the process of discovery and help to push back these borders. Starting with physics the author collects examples from economics, neurophysiology, history, ecology and philosophy. The first part shows how information helps to reduce indefiniteness. Understanding rests on our ability to find the right context, in which we localize a problem as a point in a network of connections. New elements must be combined with the old parts of the existing complex knowledge system, in order to profit maximally from the information. An attempt is made to quantify the value of information by its ability to reduce indefiniteness. The second part explains how to handle indefiniteness with methods from fuzzy logic, decision theory, hermeneutics and semiotics. It is not sufficient that the new element appears in an experiment, one also has to find a theoretical reason for its existence. Indefiniteness becomes an engine of science, which gives rise to new ideas.

This monograph on the homotopy theory of topologized diagrams of spaces and spectra gives an expert account of a subject at the foundation of motivic homotopy theory and the theory of topological modular forms in stable homotopy theory. Beginning with an introduction to the homotopy theory of simplicial sets and topos theory, the book covers core topics such as the unstable homotopy theory of simplicial presheaves and sheaves, localized theories, cocycles, descent theory, non-abelian cohomology, stacks, and local stable homotopy theory. A detailed treatment of the formalism of the subject is interwoven with explanations of the motivation, development, and nuances of ideas and results. The coherence of the abstract theory is elucidated through the use of widely applicable tools, such as Barr's theorem on Boolean localization, model structures on the category of simplicial presheaves on a site, and cocycle categories. A wealth of concrete examples convey the vitality and importance of the subject in topology, number theory, algebraic geometry, and algebraic K-theory. Assuming basic knowledge of algebraic geometry and homotopy theory, Local Homotopy Theory will appeal to researchers and advanced graduate students seeking to understand and advance the applications of homotopy theory in multiple areas of mathematics and the mathematical sciences.

The study of graph structure has advanced in recent years with great strides: finite graphs can be described algebraically, enabling them to be constructed out of more basic elements. Separately the properties of graphs can be studied in a logical language called monadic second-order logic. In this book, these two features of graph structure are brought together for the first time in a presentation that unifies and synthesizes research over the last 25 years. The authors not only provide a thorough description of the theory, but also detail its applications, on the one hand to the construction of graph algorithms, and, on the other to the extension of formal language theory to finite graphs. Consequently the book will be of interest to graduate students and researchers in graph theory, finite model theory, formal language theory, and complexity theory.

This innovative textbook introduces a new pattern-based approach to learning proof methods in the mathematical sciences. Readers will discover techniques that will enable them to learn new proofs across different areas of pure mathematics with ease. The patterns in proofs from diverse fields such as algebra, analysis, topology and number theory are explored. Specific topics examined include game theory, combinatorics and Euclidean geometry, enabling a broad familiarity. The author, an experienced lecturer and researcher renowned for his innovative view and intuitive style, illuminates a wide range of techniques and examples from duplicating the cube to triangulating polygons to the infinitude of primes to the fundamental theorem of algebra. Intended as a companion for undergraduate students, this text is an essential addition to every aspiring mathematician's toolkit.

This book offers an excursion through the developmental area of research mathematics. It presents some 40 papers, published between the 1870s and the 1970s, on proofs of the Cantor-Bernstein theorem and the related Bernstein division theorem. While the emphasis is placed on providing accurate proofs, similar to the originals, the discussion is broadened to include aspects that pertain to the methodology of the development of mathematics and to the philosophy of mathematics. Works of prominent mathematicians and logicians are reviewed, including Cantor, Dedekind, Schroeder, Bernstein, Borel, Zermelo, Poincare, Russell, Peano, the Koenigs, Hausdorff, Sierpinski, Tarski, Banach, Brouwer and several others mainly of the Polish and the Dutch schools. In its attempt to present a diachronic narrative of one mathematical topic, the book resembles Lakatos' celebrated book Proofs and Refutations. Indeed, some of the observations made by Lakatos are corroborated herein. The analogy between the two books is clearly anything but superficial, as the present book also offers new theoretical insights into the methodology of the development of mathematics (proof-processing), with implications for the historiography of mathematics.

Transactions are a concept related to the logical database as seen from the perspective of database application programmers: a transaction is a sequence of database actions that is to be executed as an atomic unit of work. The processing of transactions on databases is a well- established area with many of its foundations having already been laid in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The unique feature of this textbook is that it bridges the gap between the theory of transactions on the logical database and the implementation of the related actions on the underlying physical database. The authors relate the logical database, which is composed of a dynamically changing set of data items with unique keys, and the underlying physical database with a set of fixed-size data and index pages on disk. Their treatment of transaction processing builds on the "do-redo-undo" recovery paradigm, and all methods and algorithms presented are carefully designed to be compatible with this paradigm as well as with write-ahead logging, steal-and-no-force buffering, and fine-grained concurrency control. Chapters 1 to 6 address the basics needed to fully appreciate transaction processing on a centralized database system within the context of our transaction model, covering topics like ACID properties, database integrity, buffering, rollbacks, isolation, and the interplay of logical locks and physical latches. Chapters 7 and 8 present advanced features including deadlock-free algorithms for reading, inserting and deleting tuples, while the remaining chapters cover additional advanced topics extending on the preceding foundational chapters, including multi-granular locking, bulk actions, versioning, distributed updates, and write-intensive transactions. This book is primarily intended as a text for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses on database management in general or transaction processing in particular.

The notion of Fuzziness stands as one of the really new concepts that have recently enriched the world of Science. Science grows not only through technical and formal advances on one side and useful applications on the other side, but also as consequence of the introduction and assimilation of new concepts in its corpus. These, in turn, produce new developments and applications. And this is what Fuzziness, one of the few new concepts arisen in the XX Century, has been doing so far. This book aims at paying homage to Professor Lotfi A. Zadeh, the "father of fuzzy logic" and also at giving credit to his exceptional work and personality. In a way, this is reflected in the variety of contributions collected in the book. In some of them the authors chose to speak of personal meetings with Lotfi; in others, they discussed how certain papers of Zadeh were able to open for them a new research horizon. Some contributions documented results obtained from the author/s after taking inspiration from a particular idea of Zadeh, thus implicitly acknowledging him. Finally, there are contributions of several "third generation fuzzysists or softies" who were firstly led into the world of Fuzziness by a disciple of Lotfi Zadeh, who, following his example, took care of opening for them a new road in science. Rudolf Seising is Adjoint Researcher at the European Centre for Soft Computing in Mieres, Asturias (Spain). Enric Trillas and Claudio Moraga are Emeritus Researchers at the European Centre for Soft Computing, Mieres, Asturias (Spain). Settimo Termini is Professor of Theoretical Computer Science at the University of Palermo, Italy and Affiliated Researcher at the European Centre for Soft Computing, Mieres, Asturias (Spain)