OLLI101521 - Proof and Truth [In-person at TUCC]
Course Description
Proof and Truth
Instructor: Steve Garland
Dates: Thursdays, Sep 28-Dec 7
No Class: Nov 23
Time: 1:00 PM-2:30 PM
Location: In-person at Center City (TUCC)
What is truth? How does one prove it? These are difficult questions, not just in the current political climate, but also in mathematics, where one would expect greater clarity. This course starts with a historical overview of truth and proof in mathematics: what the Babylonians knew to be true and what Greek (and later) mathematicians were (and were not) able to prove was true. It continues by considering truth and proof in mathematical logic, computing, physics, law, history, and post-modern thought.
Maximum in-person registrants: 20
Instructor’s Bio:
Stephen Garland earned a PhD in mathematical logic at the University of California at Berkeley. In the first half of his career, he was a Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Dartmouth College, where he co-led the development of the Dartmouth Timesharing System and the Basic programming language. In the second half of his career, he was a Principal Research Scientist in MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, where he developed tools for automated reasoning about formal specifications for computer software. In retirement, he teaches pro-bono K-8 workshops on computing and mathematics.
Notes
Why when I’m registering do I join the Wait List?
Several of our courses are in high demand. In order to accommodate our members who are not tech-savvy and have trouble registering online, we created a registration system in which there is no advantage to registering early, no disadvantage to registering later.
When registering, you join the Wait List for each course. Don’t be alarmed. This does not mean the course is full. After the registration period is over, we run a lottery on the courses, and it randomly determines who is admitted to each course and who is not. You typically will receive notification regarding which courses you are admitted to, about two weeks before the start of the semester. If a course accepts 150 or more students, you are very likely to get into it.