Elements of Logic via Numbers and Sets (Springer Undergraduate Mathematics Series)

In mathematics we are interested in why a particular formula is true. Intuition and statistical evidence are insufficient, so we need to construct a formal logical proof. The purpose of this book is to describe why such proofs are important, what they are made of, how to recognize valid ones, how to distinguish different kinds, and how to construct them. This book is written for 1st year students with no previous experience of formulating proofs. Dave Johnson has drawn from his considerable experience to provide a text that concentrates on the most important elements of the subject using clear, simple explanations that require no background knowledge of logic. It gives many useful examples and problems, many with fully-worked solutions at the end of the book. In addition to a comprehensive index, there is also a useful `Dramatis Personae` an index to the many symbols introduced in the text, most of which will be new to students and which will be used throughout their degree programme.

From the reviews: “It took me a while to appreciate the need for a course intended to introduce mathematics undergraduates to advanced mathematics after they finish the calculus sequence. ... This was the first book I found that seems really close to the core. It is well-written and very well suited to such a course.” (James M. Cargal, UMAP Journal, Vol. 31 (1), 2010)