BEYOND NUMBERS: THE MATHEMATICS OF REASONING in Fall 2026 (MA1099FB11)

Mathematics is often seen merely as the study of numbers, but that is only a tiny fraction of what it truly encompasses. In essence, mathematics is the art of reasoning and abstraction, a way to understand and explain the world around us. It lies at the heart of humanity’s enduring desire to make sense of what we observe and to push the boundaries of what we know.

This course will introduce you to the study of thinking itself – the field of logic. Logic gives structure to the information we take in, to our thoughts, and to the way we communicate through language. Through engaging with games and puzzles, we will open our minds to new ways of thinking - thinking creatively, recognizing patterns, and discovering new paths for thought. We will practice

building sound reasoning and learn to recognize fallacious ones. We will also learn the boundaries of logic – situations where rational methods fail and paradoxes emerge. And finally,

we will see how studying the structure of our own thoughts has helped us teach machines to “think”.