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MATH 4000-001: Foundations of Mathematics, Fall 2026


Syllabus


Catalogue description: 
Focuses on a complete deductive framework for mathematics and applies it to various areas. Presents Goedel's famous incompleteness theorem about the inherent limitations of mathematical systems. Uses idealized computers to investigate the capabilities and limitations of human and machine computation.

Requisites: Requires MATH 3001 or MATH 3140 or MATH 4730 (all minimum grade C-).

   
Text: 
A Mathematical Introduction to Logic,
2nd ed., 2001
, by Herbert B. Enderton.

You have free online access to this book through this ScienceDirect link.

Homework, Quizzes and Exams: 
During the semester there will be regularly assigned homework and quizzes, one midterm and a final exam. Your course grade will be computed according to the formula:

Grade = HW(30%) + Quiz(20%) + Mid(20%) + Final(30%).

You must take the final exam to pass the course.

Homework should be typed and submitted in pdf form. (There is a Latex homework template on the course HW page.)

Late homework will not be accepted and missed quizzes cannot be made up. However, I will not count your two lowest homework scores nor your two lowest quiz scores. So, try to do all the HW and quizzes, and if for some reason you find you are unable to meet a deadline for HW/quiz consider that week as one where your HW/quiz will not be counted.

Grading: 
You will be graded only on your written work. This work will be judged on the basis of correctness, completeness, and clarity. Strings of formulas without explanation will not be accepted. Paragraph organization (where appropriate), complete sentences and correct punctuation are expected.

Dates: 
Quiz: Usually on Monday
HW: Usually on Wednesday
First Day: Aug 21 (Friday)
Labor Day: Sep 7 (Monday)
Midsemester Reading Day: Oct 8 (Thursday)
Midterm: Oct 9 (Friday)
Fall Break: Nov 23-27 (Monday-Friday)
Last Day: Dec 4 (Friday)
Final Exam: Dec 7, 4:30am-7pm (Monday)

Getting Help: 
Don't wait until it is too late if you need help. Ask questions! I am available during the office hours listed here and also at many other times. If you can't see me during office hours, then make an appointment with me to see me at a different time. I will also give short answers to questions sent by email. One can get help for some lower division math courses in the Math Academic Resource Center, and it might happen that someone there can answer your Math 2001 questions.

WWW: 
Information concerning our class will be posted on my teaching web page under the link for Teaching. A copy of any document I hand out in class will be accessible from this page.