Formal Logic: or, the calculus of inference, necessary and probable. Together with: A signed autograph letter from De Morgan, dated 18 October 1855.

DE MORGAN, Augustus

Edité par London: Taylor and Walton, 1847

A propos de cet article

First edition, later issue (the publisher's advertisement at the end is dated November, 1853), 8vo., pp. xvi, 1--336, [8]. Binding: original black cloth decoratively blocked in blind, gilt lettering to spine, incidental wear to extremities, minor repairs and small library label to spine. Internally the book is clean and bright, apart from minor edge browning to pages and some scattered foxing. Presentation copy, inscribed on the title page "From the Author". Loosely inserted: a signed autograph letter from the author, dated 18 October 1855. Clearly in response to a query and suggested correction from the Rev. Parker, it reads as follows: "Dear Parker, There is a misprint but it is rather in the previous part of the line. It should be p. 11: Some Xs are not Zs. Either correction would do --- but this one better suits what follows. Thanks for the annotation --- It had not been pointed out to me. Yours very truly, A. De Morgan [signed]." The relevant correction has been made in pencil in the book. Elegantly printed in Caslon type by Charles Whittingham (nephew) at the Chiswick Press, the book is highly regarded for its exemplary mathematical typography. This is an important work that bridges the development of logic theory from the work of Sir William Hamilton to the symbolic logic of George Boole. Overall a handsome presentation copy. Provenance: Label to front pastedown reads: "Bequeathed to the 'Bishopric of Cornwall', by the Rev. Franke Parker, M.A., Rector of Luffingcott, Devon, 1883." Although Augustus De Morgan (1806--1871) wrote prolifically on most areas of mathematics, "his greatest contribution to scientific knowledge undoubtedly lay in his logical researches" [DSB]. His work on extending classical Aristotelian logic by reformulating logical statements in mathematical form involved him in a priority dispute with the Scottish philosopher Sir William Hamilton on the principle of quantifying the predicate. De Morgan's account of the controversy is given in the first of the appendices to the present book. The subsequent development of symbolic logic owes much to his fundamental work, as indeed was acknowledged by George Boole in his first book on mathematical logic. De Morgan coined the term 'mathematical induction', and, when asked his age, he asserted that he was x years old in the year x² (he was 43 in the year 1849).

N° de réf. du vendeur ABE-12

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: Formal Logic: or, the calculus of inference, necessary and probable. Together with: A signed autograph letter from De Morgan, dated 18 October 1855.
• Éditeur: London: Taylor and Walton
• Date de parution: 1847
• Reliure: Hardcover
• État de l'article: Very Good
• Signé: Inscribed by Author(s)