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Computing with Concepts, Computing with Numbers: Llull, Leibniz, and Boole

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Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNTCS,volume 6158))

Abstract

We consider two ways to understand “reasoning as computation”, one which focuses on the computation of concept symbols and the other on the computation of number symbols. We illustrate these two ways with Llull’s Ars Combinatoria and Leibniz’s attempts to arithmetize language, respectively. We then argue that Boole’s development of an algebra of reasoning was in a large part successful due to its ability to marry the two types of computation that are exemplified in Llull’s and Leibniz’s works.

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Uckelman, S.L. (2010). Computing with Concepts, Computing with Numbers: Llull, Leibniz, and Boole. In: Ferreira, F., Löwe, B., Mayordomo, E., Mendes Gomes, L. (eds) Programs, Proofs, Processes. CiE 2010. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 6158. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13962-8_47

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13962-8_47

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-13961-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-13962-8

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