Mathematical logic formalizes certain kinds of reasoning in terms of operations on mathematical formulas. It is important for people working in A.I. to know logic for several reasons:

• Theory: Logic has a sound mathematical foundation; things can be proved about it.

• Applications: For certain classes of applications (e.g., proving correctness of programs) logic is the representation of choice.

• Comparison with Other Methods: Other representation methods are often reducible to logic. Knowing logic helps in understanding other methods and may help prevent reinvention of old techniques.

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