2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Engineering Undergraduate major in Information and Communications Engineering
Logic and Reasoning
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Information and Communications Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Ryutaroh Matsumoto / Kotaro Funakoshi
- Class Format
- Lecture/Exercise (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-6 Tue (W5-106) / 5-6 Fri (W5-106)
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- ICT.H217
- Number of credits
- 110
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 4Q
- Syllabus updated
- Sep 22, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Sentences expressed by a language have a meaning. In order to process meanings using a computer, we need to consider logical inference itself as a mathematical object. In this lecture, we learn logic as a basic methodology for this purpose, which provides a foundation for knowledge processing by the formal approach. Particularly, we learn propositional logic, predicate logic, resolution principle, and a logic programming language Prolog.
Course description and aims
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) explain propositional and predicate logic that formalize inference as symbolic operation
2) write program code using a logic programming language Prolog
Keywords
propositional logic, predicate logic, resolution principle, logic Programming, Prolog
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
The first two sessions will be a basic lecture on logic, and the next five sessions will involve Prolog programming exercises, familiarizing students with the concept of logic programming through graphs and automata.
The next six sessions will deepen students' mathematical understanding of propositional logic and predicate logic, and reaffirm the relationship with the logic programming language Prolog.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction |
Explain the background of logic |
| Class 2 | Basics of propositional & predicate logic : proposition, connectives, truth value, predicate |
Explain proposition, connectives, truth value, and predicate |
| Class 3 | Basics of Prolog: program execution and basic operations |
Setup Prolog programming environment and run sample programs |
| Class 4 | List and recursion |
Write Prolog code that handles list and recursion |
| Class 5 | Graph search |
Write Prolog code that implement graph search |
| Class 6 | Automaton |
Write Prolog code that implement automaton |
| Class 7 | Syntax analysis |
Write Prolog code that implement syntax analysis |
| Class 8 | Propositional logic 1: syntax, semantics, tautology |
Explain syntax, semantics, and tautology |
| Class 9 | Propositional logic 2: normal form, Boolean algebras |
Explain Boolean algebras and normal form |
| Class 10 | Proofs in natural deduction: inconsistent, reductio ad absurdum, derivation |
Explain inconsistent, reductio ad absurdum, and derivation |
| Class 11 | Predicate logic: quantifiers, term, formula |
Explain quantifiers, term, and formula |
| Class 12 | Resolution principle |
Explain resolution principle |
| Class 13 | Logic programming language Prolog |
Explain the syntax and semantics of the Prolog programming language |
| Class 14 | Term-end paper test & programming |
Solve questions and a programming problem |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Handouts are distributed
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Logic and Structure, D. van Dalen, Springer-Verlag, 1983
Evaluation methods and criteria
Exercise is 40%, and the final exam is 60%.
The final exam may be replaced with a report when holding the exam is difficult.
Related courses
- ICT.H212 ： Automata and Languages (ICT)
Prerequisites
Students are required to be able to submit reports through LMS.
Other
Installing a Prolog environment to your PC or setting up a network access software is needed.
The details of the setups are explained in the lecture.