BA in Logic, Information and Computation in Philadelphia United States | University of Pennsylvania

The foundations of modern mathematical logic were established in the late 19th century by Cantor, Frege, and fellow mathematicians seeking to create a rigorous framework for mathematical analysis. Following early 20th century discoveries of logical paradoxes that shook mathematics' foundations, thinkers like Hilbert and Russell deeply explored mathematics' logical underpinnings. The relationship between logic and mathematical foundations remained scientifically significant through Gödel's groundbreaking 1930-1931 findings, which revealed both the possibilities and limitations of mechanizing mathematical thought. Gödel's discoveries sparked intense research that culminated in Turing's formal definition of mechanical computation using what we now call Turing machines. These 1930s breakthroughs by Gödel, Turing, and other logicians formed the theoretical basis for the computing and information technology revolution that emerged mid-century and persists in our time.