History of Logic: Series Guide

Part 0 introduces the series, its reading order, and routes through foundations, computation, formalization, and earlier logical traditions.

This series follows the development of modern mathematical logic: how reasoning acquired precise languages, how proofs and their limits became mathematical subjects, and how those ideas shaped computation and formalized mathematics.

Part 0 is this guide. Parts 1–27 form the main sequence. Six companion notes examine earlier logical traditions separately, giving their questions and achievements space in their own historical settings.

Explore the series in two other ways: find your reasoning companions or follow the interactive timeline.

Where to begin

For a first reading, begin with Part 1: Boole and the Algebraic Tradition and follow the Previous note and Next note controls. The sequence introduces ideas before returning to their later developments.

If you have a particular interest, use these starting points:

  • Foundations and the limits of proof. Read Parts 1–12 in order, from logical algebra to set-theoretic independence.
  • Proofs, types, and programs. Begin with intuitionism and Gentzen's proof theory, then read Parts 15–18. These notes develop the relationship between constructive evidence, typed programs, and semantics.
  • Automation and formalization. Begin with syntax and completeness and computability, then read Parts 19–25 and 27. Dependent type theory supplies background for assistants based on that foundation.
  • Earlier history. Choose a note from the earlier traditions. These companions can be read independently; their order does not imply a single line of historical transmission.

How to read the notes

Each note develops a historical problem through the people and texts involved, a worked example, and an explanation of what the resulting ideas establish. Technical terms are introduced as they arise. Familiarity with elementary algebra, sets, and functions will help with the examples.

Three distinctions recur throughout the series: a formal proof and truth in a model; the existence of an algorithm and the resources it requires; and a checked statement and its intended interpretation. Keeping these distinctions in view makes the transitions between foundations, computation, and verification easier to follow.

The reading order is organized around these connections. Historical developments often overlap, and modern notation used in an example may reconstruct an earlier argument rather than reproduce its original presentation.

Interactive labs

The labs connect a worked example with an experiment. Begin with the supplied problem, predict its result, then change an input and compare. Hints and variations help explain what the computation establishes.

Begin with the foundations, or choose a lab beside the subject you are reading:

Further labs will be added to this directory as they become available. Each lab states its mathematical scope, and the surrounding worked example remains readable without running it.

Main reading order

1–6 · Languages and foundations

The series begins with changes in logical expression and the mathematical questions that made explicit foundations necessary.

  1. Boole and the Algebraic Tradition — Classes, relations, and the development of logical calculation.
  2. Frege, Quantifiers, and Logical Form — Variables, scope, and the expression of mathematical arguments.
  3. Rigor, Infinity, and Axioms — Analysis, infinite sets, and explicit axiomatic methods.
  4. Paradoxes and Competing Foundations — Logicism, types, predicativity, and axiomatic set theory.
  5. Hilbert's Program — The attempt to justify mathematics through the study of finite proofs.
  6. Intuitionism and Construction — Constructive evidence and the meaning of mathematical existence.

7–14 · Proof, truth, and their limits

Once formal systems were precisely defined, logicians could investigate their expressive power, their models, and the questions they could not decide.

  1. Syntax, Truth, and Completeness — Derivability, satisfaction, and the completeness of first-order logic.
  2. Gödel and Incompleteness — Arithmetic coding, undecidable sentences, and consistency statements.
  3. Computability — Effective procedures and the limits of algorithmic decision.
  4. Gentzen and Proof Theory — Deduction, proof transformations, and consistency analysis.
  5. Model Theory — Definability, mathematical structures, and classification.
  6. Set Theory and Independence — Constructibility, forcing, and the choice of additional axioms.
  7. Modal Logic — Necessity, possibility, time, knowledge, and relational semantics.
  8. Alternative Logics — Truth values, relevance, inconsistency, and the use of assumptions.

15–18 · Types, programs, and semantics

The next group develops precise connections between proofs and programs, then examines the mathematical structures used to interpret them.

  1. Lambda Calculus and Curry–Howard — Typed terms, proofs, substitution, and normalization.
  2. Dependent Type Theory — Types that express properties of values, equality, and universes.
  3. Categorical Logic — Structural interpretations of logic and quantification.
  4. Functional Programming and Semantics — Recursion, polymorphism, evaluation, and models of computation.

19–24 · Automation and verification

These connections support several distinct uses of machines: searching for proofs, checking derivations, executing logical programs, and verifying systems.

  1. Automated Theorem Proving — Resolution, unification, equality reasoning, and proof search.
  2. Complexity, SAT, and SMT — Computational cost, satisfiability, and cooperating decision procedures.
  3. Logic Programming — Clauses as programs and the relationship between deduction and execution.
  4. Proof Assistants — Interactive proving, checking architectures, and formal assumptions.
  5. Program Verification — Invariants, termination, specifications, and local reasoning.
  6. Model Checking and Abstraction — Temporal properties, state spaces, and counterexamples.

25–27 · Formalized mathematics and new methods

The final group considers how formal methods change mathematical practice, from shared libraries to alternative foundations and learned proof search.

  1. Formalized Mathematics — Large proofs, reusable libraries, and mathematical collaboration.
  2. Homotopy Type Theory and Univalence — Identity, equivalence, and new foundations for formal mathematics.
  3. Learned Theorem Proving — Learning-guided search, formalization, and the evidence behind recent results.

Earlier traditions

These six notes form a separate companion series. They examine inference, demonstration, language, and knowledge in traditions whose aims cannot be reduced to preparing the way for modern symbolic logic.

  1. Greek and Late-Antique Logic — Aristotle, the Stoics, demonstration, and commentary.
  2. Arabic, Islamic, and Jewish Logical Traditions — Translation, Avicenna, later developments, and reception.
  3. Medieval Latin Logic — Supposition, consequence, semantic paradoxes, and disputation.
  4. Indian Logic — Nyāya, Buddhist inference, evidence, and Navya-Nyāya.
  5. Chinese Traditions of Argument — Mohist reasoning, names and kinds, and standards of argument.
  6. Before Boole: Reform, Leibniz, and Bolzano — Early-modern projects for method, calculation, and logical consequence.

The final companion connects naturally with Part 1 of the main sequence. Earlier traditions also remain relevant when later notes return to demonstration, modal reasoning, or the interpretation of language.

Sources and editorial approach

Each subject note ends with sources and further reading. Original works establish what was proposed or proved; scholarly histories help explain terminology, influence, reception, and disputed attribution. Recent formalization results are discussed with their dates, assumptions, and documented scope.

A meeting of minds

Your reasoning portrait

Twelve small thought experiments. Discover historical thinkers whose questions you might enjoy exploring.

A playful reading guide, not a psychological test or an assessment of ability. The matches interpret published work; they do not describe the thinkers’ personalities. There are no correct answers.

Question 1 of 12 · 0 answered

01 The impossible catalogue

A library proposes a catalogue of every catalogue that does not list itself. What would you investigate first?

Answers stay in this page and are cleared when you reload.

Ideas across time

The series timeline

Follow 107 milestones across thirteen streams, from earlier traditions to modern formalization.

Years run horizontally; streams run vertically. Every subject note is represented. This is a map of the series, not an exhaustive history. Streams overlap intellectually; their position does not imply a hierarchy or a line of influence.

107 milestones · 33 subject notes · compiled 5 September 2026

The chronological index below includes dates, source records, and links to the corresponding notes. Enable JavaScript to use the map and filters.

c. 450–350 BCEDialectic and paradox

Greek and late antique

Socratic questioning, Platonic dialectic, and early paradoxes make argument itself an object of inquiry. The period is approximate.

Earlier traditions, part 1: Greek and Late-Antique Logic →

Ancient Logic · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

c. 4th–3rd centuries BCELater Mohist analysis

Chinese traditions

The Mohist Canons and explanations investigate distinctions, names, knowledge, and argument. Their composition belongs to a developing textual tradition.

Earlier traditions, part 5: Chinese Traditions of Argument: Names, Kinds, and Distinctions →

Mohism

4th century BCEAristotle: syllogistic

Greek and late antique

The Analytics investigate valid syllogisms and demonstrative knowledge. This interval locates the work within Aristotle’s period; it does not date each treatise.

Earlier traditions, part 1: Greek and Late-Antique Logic →

Aristotle's Logic

3rd century BCEXunzi: rectifying names

Chinese traditions

Xunzi connects the use of names with distinctions and shared practices. The bar locates his work within a century; it does not give a composition date or a lifespan. His precise dates are uncertain, and he was still alive in 238 BCE.

Earlier traditions, part 5: Chinese Traditions of Argument: Names, Kinds, and Distinctions →

Xunzi · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

3rd century BCEStoic propositional inference

Greek and late antique

Chrysippus and the Stoic tradition develop inference patterns organized around propositions. Surviving reports require historical reconstruction.

Earlier traditions, part 1: Greek and Late-Antique Logic →

Ancient Logic · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

c. 2nd–5th centuries CENyāya text and commentary

Indian traditions

The Nyāya-sūtra and Vātsyāyana’s commentary organize inquiry into knowledge and inference. Formation and dating are disputed; this is a broad orientation.

Earlier traditions, part 4: Indian Logic: Inference, Evidence, and Analysis →

Logic in Classical Indian Philosophy · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

c. 480–540Dignāga: inferential signs

Indian traditions

Dignāga analyzes the conditions under which a sign warrants inference. The interval indicates his approximate lifetime, not a precise publication date.

Earlier traditions, part 4: Indian Logic: Inference, Evidence, and Analysis →

Logic in Classical Indian Philosophy · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Early 6th centuryBoethius and transmission

Greek and late antique

Boethius’s translations and logical writings become important resources for later Latin readers. Transmission involved many intermediaries.

Earlier traditions, part 1: Greek and Late-Antique Logic →

Ancient Logic · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

c. 7th centuryDharmakīrti: grounds of inference

Indian traditions

Dharmakīrti investigates why an inferential connection is warranted, including relations of identity and causal dependence. Chronology remains approximate.

Earlier traditions, part 4: Indian Logic: Inference, Evidence, and Analysis →

Logic in Classical Indian Philosophy · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

9th–10th centuriesTranslation and interpretation

Arabic and Jewish traditions

Greek logical writings circulate through Syriac and Arabic scholarship. Translators and commentators also develop terminology and interpretations.

Earlier traditions, part 2: Arabic, Islamic, and Jewish Logical Traditions →

Arabic and Islamic Philosophy of Language and Logic

Early 10th centuryAl-Fārābī: organizing logic

Arabic and Jewish traditions

Al-Fārābī treats logic as a systematic discipline and examines its relation to language and demonstrative science.

Earlier traditions, part 2: Arabic, Islamic, and Jewish Logical Traditions →

Al-Fārābī · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Early 11th centuryIbn Sīnā’s logical project

Arabic and Jewish traditions

Ibn Sīnā develops an independent account of syllogistic and modality. The interval locates major work, rather than dating every logical text.

Earlier traditions, part 2: Arabic, Islamic, and Jewish Logical Traditions →

Ibn Sina's Logic

Early 12th centuryAbelard: language and consequence

Latin and early modern

Abelard’s logical works examine signification and consequence within a changing textual and institutional setting.

Earlier traditions, part 3: Medieval Latin Logic: Reference, Consequence, and Paradox →

Peter Abelard · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

13th–14th centuriesSupposition and consequence

Latin and early modern

Latin logicians develop theories of reference, consequence, and semantic paradox. Ockham and Buridan belong to a diverse tradition.

Earlier traditions, part 3: Medieval Latin Logic: Reference, Consequence, and Paradox →

Medieval Theories: Properties of Terms

13th–14th centuriesPost-Avicennan developments

Arabic and Jewish traditions

Authors including al-Rāzī, al-Ṭūsī, and al-Kātibī reshape the inherited discussions. Jewish logical writing participates in several linguistic settings.

Earlier traditions, part 2: Arabic, Islamic, and Jewish Logical Traditions →

Ibn Sina's Logic

c. 14th centuryGaṅgeśa and Navya-Nyāya

Indian traditions

The Tattvacintāmaṇi helps establish a highly technical analysis of cognition, inference, and language. Dating is approximate.

Earlier traditions, part 4: Indian Logic: Inference, Evidence, and Analysis →

Gaṅgeśa

1620Bacon: Novum Organum

Latin and early modern

Bacon proposes a reform of inquiry centered on the disciplined investigation of nature.

Earlier traditions, part 6: Before Boole: Reform, Leibniz, and Bolzano →

Francis Bacon · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

1662The Port-Royal Logic

Latin and early modern

Arnauld and Nicole organize logic around conceiving, judging, reasoning, and method.

Earlier traditions, part 6: Before Boole: Reform, Leibniz, and Bolzano →

Port-Royal Logic · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

1666–1686 · selected writingsLeibniz: symbolic projects

Latin and early modern

Leibniz pursues connected projects for a characteristic language and calculation of reasoning. Much logical work remained unpublished during his lifetime.

Earlier traditions, part 6: Before Boole: Reform, Leibniz, and Bolzano →

Leibniz's Influence on 19th Century Logic

1837Bolzano: Wissenschaftslehre

Latin and early modern

Bolzano studies propositions, consequence, and variation of ideas independently of a modern symbolic calculus.

Earlier traditions, part 6: Before Boole: Reform, Leibniz, and Bolzano →

Bernard Bolzano · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

1847Boole’s logical algebra

Algebra and logical language

The Mathematical Analysis of Logic presents an algebraic treatment of inference. Its operations require historical care when compared with modern Boolean algebra.

Part 1: Boole and the Algebraic Tradition →

The Emergence of First-Order Logic

1854The Laws of Thought

Algebra and logical language

Boole develops his treatment of logical calculation, including probability and the interpretation of algebraic expressions.

Part 1: Boole and the Algebraic Tradition →

The Emergence of First-Order Logic

1870–1885 · selected papersPeirce: relations and quantifiers

Algebra and logical language

Peirce develops an algebra of relatives and quantification; Oscar Howard Mitchell contributes to the notation and treatment of quantifiers.

Part 1: Boole and the Algebraic Tradition →

The Emergence of First-Order Logic

1872Constructions of the reals

Foundations and set theory

Dedekind’s cuts and contemporary approaches to real numbers make continuity an explicit mathematical problem.

Part 3: Rigor, Infinity, and the Axiomatic Method →

Continuity and Infinitesimals

1874Cantor: unequal infinities

Foundations and set theory

Cantor proves that real numbers cannot all be enumerated. His 1874 argument should be distinguished from the later diagonal presentation.

Part 3: Rigor, Infinity, and the Axiomatic Method →

The Early Development of Set Theory

1879Frege’s Begriffsschrift

Algebra and logical language

Frege introduces a formal language with explicit quantification and the analysis of mathematical inference.

Part 2: Frege, Quantifiers, and Logical Form →

Begriffsschrift (1879)

1888Dedekind on numbers

Foundations and set theory

Was sind und was sollen die Zahlen? develops a structural account of the natural numbers.

Part 3: Rigor, Infinity, and the Axiomatic Method →

The Early Development of Set Theory

1889Peano’s arithmetic

Foundations and set theory

Peano presents arithmetic using explicit axioms and symbolic notation.

Part 3: Rigor, Infinity, and the Axiomatic Method →

The Emergence of First-Order Logic

1890–1895Schröder’s lectures

Algebra and logical language

Schröder’s Vorlesungen organize and extend algebraic logic, including relations.

Part 1: Boole and the Algebraic Tradition →

The Emergence of First-Order Logic

1891The diagonal argument

Foundations and set theory

Cantor gives a diagonal method for showing that a proposed enumeration misses an object.

Part 3: Rigor, Infinity, and the Axiomatic Method →

The Early Development of Set Theory

1899Hilbert’s geometry

Foundations and set theory

Grundlagen der Geometrie clarifies the organization and independence of geometric axioms.

Part 3: Rigor, Infinity, and the Axiomatic Method →

Mathematical Problems (1900)

1901 discovery · 1902 letterRussell’s paradox

Foundations and set theory

Russell discovers the paradox and communicates it to Frege in 1902. Unrestricted comprehension requires revision.

Part 4: Paradoxes and Competing Foundations →

Principia Mathematica

1907Brouwer’s dissertation

Foundations and set theory

Brouwer’s foundational work helps establish the constructive orientation later associated with intuitionism.

Part 6: Intuitionism and Mathematical Construction →

Intuitionism in the Philosophy of Mathematics

1908Zermelo’s axiomatization

Foundations and set theory

Zermelo proposes axioms for set theory, restricting subset formation to an already given set.

Part 4: Paradoxes and Competing Foundations →

Zermelo's Axiomatization of Set Theory

1910–1913Principia Mathematica

Foundations and set theory

Whitehead and Russell publish the three volumes of a logicist development using ramified type theory.

Part 4: Paradoxes and Competing Foundations →

Principia Mathematica

1918Lewis and strict implication

Proof, models, and logics

C. I. Lewis’s Survey of Symbolic Logic develops an alternative to treating material implication as every form of implication.

Part 13: Modal Logic: Necessity, Time, Knowledge, and Provability →

Modal Logic

1920Łukasiewicz: three values

Proof, models, and logics

Łukasiewicz presents a three-valued logic, opening a different semantic treatment of logical connectives.

Part 14: Alternative Logics: Truth, Relevance, Inconsistency, and Resources →

Jan Łukasiewicz · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

1920s · representative periodHilbert’s proof-theoretic program

Foundations and set theory

Hilbert, Bernays, Ackermann, and collaborators investigate formal mathematics using restricted metamathematical methods.

Part 5: Hilbert's Program and the Study of Proof →

Hilbert's Program

1924Schönfinkel’s combinators

Types, programs, and categories

Combinators express combinations of functions without bound variables; Curry subsequently develops the subject.

Part 15: Lambda Calculus and the Curry–Howard Correspondence →

Propositions as Types

1929 dissertation · 1930 publicationFirst-order completeness

Proof, models, and logics

Gödel proves that semantic validity in first-order logic entails formal derivability.

Part 7: Syntax, Truth, and Completeness →

Kurt Gödel

1930Heyting’s formal calculus

Proof, models, and logics

Heyting formulates intuitionistic logic, making its rules available for mathematical study.

Part 6: Intuitionism and Mathematical Construction →

The Development of Intuitionistic Logic

1931Gödel’s incompleteness theorems

Proof, models, and logics

Sufficiently strong, effectively axiomatized arithmetic theories face limits on completeness and internal consistency proofs under the relevant hypotheses.

Part 8: Gödel, Rosser, and Incompleteness →

Gödel's Incompleteness Theorems

1932–1933Church’s lambda calculus

Types, programs, and categories

Church develops lambda calculus within a larger foundational project. The calculus outlives defects in that initial logical system.

Part 15: Lambda Calculus and the Curry–Howard Correspondence →

Church's Type Theory

1933 Polish · 1935 GermanTarski on truth

Proof, models, and logics

Tarski defines truth for formalized languages with an explicit distinction between object language and metalanguage.

Part 7: Syntax, Truth, and Completeness →

Tarski's Truth Definitions

1934–1935Natural deduction and sequents

Proof, models, and logics

Gentzen develops proof calculi and cut elimination, making the structure of derivations central.

Part 10: Gentzen and the Structure of Proof →

The Development of Proof Theory

1936Church’s undecidability result

Computability and complexity

Church uses lambda-definability and recursive functions to establish an unsolvable problem and a negative decision result.

Part 9: The Emergence of Computability →

An Unsolvable Problem of Elementary Number Theory (1936)

1936Gentzen’s consistency proof

Proof, models, and logics

Gentzen’s analysis of arithmetic uses transfinite induction up to ε₀. The metatheoretic assumptions matter.

Part 10: Gentzen and the Structure of Proof →

The Development of Proof Theory

1936Rosser’s refinement

Proof, models, and logics

Rosser weakens the consistency hypothesis needed for an incompleteness result.

Part 8: Gödel, Rosser, and Incompleteness →

Gödel's Incompleteness Theorems

1936–1937 publicationTuring’s computable numbers

Computability and complexity

Turing gives a machine account of computation and proves a negative answer to the Entscheidungsproblem.

Part 9: The Emergence of Computability →

On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem

1938 announcement · 1940 monographGödel’s constructible universe

Foundations and set theory

Constructibility establishes relative consistency results for choice and the generalized continuum hypothesis.

Part 12: Set Theory and Independence →

The Continuum Hypothesis

1940Church’s simple type theory

Types, programs, and categories

Church presents a typed logical calculus that becomes an important ancestor of higher-order systems.

Part 15: Lambda Calculus and the Curry–Howard Correspondence →

Church's Type Theory

1944Post: degrees of unsolvability

Computability and complexity

Post’s work organizes questions about recursively enumerable sets and relative computability.

Part 9: The Emergence of Computability →

Recursive Functions

1945Eilenberg and Mac Lane

Types, programs, and categories

General Theory of Natural Equivalences introduces the categorical language developed to study mathematical transformations.

Part 17: Categorical Logic: Structure, Quantification, and Internal Languages →

Eilenberg and Mac Lane, General Theory of Natural Equivalences (1945)

1946Barcan: quantified modality

Proof, models, and logics

Ruth Barcan Marcus’s early work combines quantification and modal reasoning.

Part 13: Modal Logic: Necessity, Time, Knowledge, and Provability →

Modal Logic

1949Henkin’s completeness method

Proof, models, and logics

Henkin’s construction builds a model from a suitably expanded consistent theory.

Part 7: Syntax, Truth, and Completeness →

Kurt Gödel

1955Łoś’s theorem

Proof, models, and logics

Łoś’s theorem relates first-order truth in an ultraproduct to truth in its component structures.

Part 11: Model Theory Becomes Mathematics →

Model Theory · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

1956The Logic Theory Machine

Automated reasoning

Newell, Shaw, and Simon present an early program for searching for proofs.

Part 19: Automated Theorem Proving: Clauses, Unification, Equality, and Search →

The Logic Theory Machine: A Complex Information Processing System (1956)

1960Davis–Putnam procedure

Automated reasoning

Davis and Putnam present a clause-based procedure for quantification theory.

Part 20: Complexity, SAT, and SMT →

A Computing Procedure for Quantification Theory (1960)

1960McCarthy’s symbolic functions

Types, programs, and categories

McCarthy’s account of recursive symbolic expressions connects computation with an executable functional language.

Part 18: Functional Programming and Programming-Language Semantics →

Recursive Functions of Symbolic Expressions (1960)

1962DPLL backtracking

Automated reasoning

Davis, Logemann, and Loveland develop a search procedure using case splitting and propagation.

Part 20: Complexity, SAT, and SMT →

Davis, Logemann, and Loveland, A Machine Program for Theorem-Proving (1962)

1963Cohen introduces forcing

Foundations and set theory

Forcing establishes independence results for set theory, relative to appropriate consistency assumptions.

Part 12: Set Theory and Independence →

The Continuum Hypothesis

1963 · influential publicationRelational modal semantics

Proof, models, and logics

Kripke’s semantic work is a major stage in the development of relational semantics, alongside earlier contributions by others.

Part 13: Modal Logic: Necessity, Time, Knowledge, and Provability →

Modal Logic

1964Landin’s mechanical evaluation

Types, programs, and categories

Landin analyzes evaluation through a lambda-based abstract machine.

Part 18: Functional Programming and Programming-Language Semantics →

Peter Landin, The Mechanical Evaluation of Expressions (1964)

1964–1971 · selected worksCategorical logic develops

Types, programs, and categories

Lawvere, Lambek, Tierney, and others connect categories with foundations, deduction, quantification, and internal logic.

Part 17: Categorical Logic: Structure, Quantification, and Internal Languages →

F. William Lawvere, Adjointness in Foundations (1969), reprint

1965Morley’s categoricity theorem

Proof, models, and logics

Morley’s theorem connects categoricity in uncountable cardinalities and helps orient later classification theory.

Part 11: Model Theory Becomes Mathematics →

Model Theory · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

1965Robinson’s resolution

Automated reasoning

Resolution and unification supply a general method for clause-based automated deduction.

Part 19: Automated Theorem Proving: Clauses, Unification, Equality, and Search →

A Machine-Oriented Logic Based on the Resolution Principle (1965)

1967De Bruijn’s Automath

Assistants and formal mathematics

Automath provides a language for representing mathematics with mechanically checkable reasoning.

Part 22: Proof Assistants: Foundations and Trust →

Description of the Language Automath (1967)

1967Floyd assigns meanings to programs

Program and system verification

Floyd uses assertions at program points to reason about program behavior.

Part 23: Program Verification: Invariants, Semantics, and Local Reasoning →

Assigning Meanings to Programs (1967)

1969Hoare’s axiomatic basis

Program and system verification

Hoare formalizes reasoning about programs through preconditions, commands, and postconditions.

Part 23: Program Verification: Invariants, Semantics, and Local Reasoning →

An Axiomatic Basis for Computer Programming (1969)

1969 manuscriptHoward: formulas as types

Types, programs, and categories

Howard’s manuscript relates formulas and proofs to types and terms. Its publication follows in 1980.

Part 15: Lambda Calculus and the Curry–Howard Correspondence →

Propositions as Types

1970Hilbert’s tenth problem

Computability and complexity

Matiyasevich completes a line of work by Davis, Putnam, and Julia Robinson, establishing the algorithmic unsolvability of the general problem.

Part 9: The Emergence of Computability →

Hilbert's Tenth Problem

1971Cook: NP-completeness

Computability and complexity

Cook establishes a foundational completeness result connecting nondeterministic computation with satisfiability.

Part 20: Complexity, SAT, and SMT →

Computational Complexity Theory

1971 · joint reportScott–Strachey semantics

Types, programs, and categories

Scott and Strachey develop a mathematical account of programming-language meaning using domains and denotations.

Part 18: Functional Programming and Programming-Language Semantics →

Scott and Strachey, Toward a Mathematical Semantics for Computer Languages (1971)

1972Karp’s reductions

Computability and complexity

Karp exhibits reductions linking a broad family of combinatorial decision problems.

Part 20: Complexity, SAT, and SMT →

Computational Complexity Theory

1972 · first implementationProlog emerges

Automated reasoning

Colmerauer, Roussel, and collaborators develop Prolog in dialogue with work on deduction and the procedural interpretation of clauses.

Part 21: Logic Programming: Clauses as Programs →

Predicate Logic as Programming Language (1974)

1972–1984 · successive formulationsMartin-Löf’s type theories

Types, programs, and categories

Successive constructive type theories develop judgments, dependent types, equality, and universes. The 1984 book records lectures from 1980.

Part 16: Dependent Type Theory: Proofs, Data, and Universes →

An Intuitionistic Theory of Types (1972)

1973Levin’s independent work

Computability and complexity

Levin’s publication develops an independent formulation of universal search problems.

Part 20: Complexity, SAT, and SMT →

Computational Complexity Theory

1973 · project beginsMizar’s development begins

Assistants and formal mathematics

Trybulec’s Mizar project pursues readable formal mathematical language and sustained library development.

Part 22: Proof Assistants: Foundations and Trust →

History of Interactive Theorem Proving

1970s · early developmentML and inferred types

Types, programs, and categories

ML grows around LCF; work on polymorphic type inference helps shape functional programming.

Part 18: Functional Programming and Programming-Language Semantics →

A History of Haskell

1974Logic as a programming language

Automated reasoning

Kowalski presents the procedural interpretation of predicate logic, separating logical content from control.

Part 21: Logic Programming: Clauses as Programs →

Predicate Logic as Programming Language (1974)

1975Guarded commands and derivation

Program and system verification

Dijkstra develops guarded commands and a calculus for deriving programs from specifications.

Part 23: Program Verification: Invariants, Semantics, and Local Reasoning →

Guarded Commands, Nondeterminacy and a Calculus for the Derivation of Programs (1975)

1977Abstract interpretation

Program and system verification

Patrick and Radhia Cousot establish a framework relating concrete program behaviors to sound abstract analyses.

Part 24: Temporal Verification, Model Checking, and Abstraction →

Patrick and Radhia Cousot, Abstract Interpretation (1977)

1977 dissertationLandau’s analysis in Automath

Assistants and formal mathematics

Van Benthem Jutting formalizes Landau’s Grundlagen der Analysis, an early substantial mathematical development.

Part 25: Formalized Mathematics: Proofs and Reusable Libraries →

History of Interactive Theorem Proving

1977Pnueli: temporal program reasoning

Program and system verification

Pnueli brings temporal logic to the specification and reasoning of program behavior.

Part 24: Temporal Verification, Model Checking, and Abstraction →

Temporal Logic

1979 · Edinburgh LCF accountLCF’s theorem architecture

Assistants and formal mathematics

The Edinburgh LCF account develops an architecture in which an abstract theorem type protects checked inference.

Part 22: Proof Assistants: Foundations and Trust →

History of Interactive Theorem Proving

1979Combining decision procedures

Automated reasoning

Nelson and Oppen analyze how suitable theories can cooperate through shared equalities.

Part 20: Complexity, SAT, and SMT →

Nelson and Oppen, Simplification by Cooperating Decision Procedures (1979)

1980 publicationHoward’s manuscript published

Types, programs, and categories

The Formulae-as-Types Notion of Construction appears in the Curry festschrift, after circulating as a 1969 manuscript.

Part 15: Lambda Calculus and the Curry–Howard Correspondence →

Propositions as Types

1981–1982Model checking emerges

Program and system verification

Clarke and Emerson, and independently Queille and Sifakis, develop automatic finite-state checking of temporal properties.

Part 24: Temporal Verification, Model Checking, and Abstraction →

Edmund M. Clarke, The Birth of Model Checking (2008)

Mid-to-late 1980sHOL develops

Assistants and formal mathematics

Gordon’s HOL work adapts the LCF approach to classical higher-order logic and verification.

Part 22: Proof Assistants: Foundations and Trust →

History of Interactive Theorem Proving

1986 · initial developmentIsabelle begins

Assistants and formal mathematics

Paulson’s Isabelle develops a generic framework for implementing logical formalisms.

Part 22: Proof Assistants: Foundations and Trust →

Isabelle Overview

1987Girard’s linear logic

Proof, models, and logics

Linear logic makes the use of assumptions explicit by controlling structural rules.

Part 14: Alternative Logics: Truth, Relevance, Inconsistency, and Resources →

Jean-Yves Girard, Linear Logic (1987)

1988 journal publicationCalculus of Constructions

Types, programs, and categories

Coquand and Huet’s calculus combines dependent types and polymorphism; later inductive extensions support the Coq lineage.

Part 16: Dependent Type Theory: Proofs, Data, and Universes →

Coquand and Huet, The Calculus of Constructions (1988)

1996GRASP and conflict analysis

Automated reasoning

Marques-Silva and Sakallah’s work develops conflict analysis and nonchronological search in SAT solving.

Part 20: Complexity, SAT, and SMT →

Marques-Silva and Sakallah, GRASP—A New Search Algorithm for Satisfiability (1996)

10 October 1996EQP resolves the Robbins problem

Automated reasoning

McCune’s EQP finds an equational proof that Robbins algebras are Boolean; subsequent checking is distinct from the search.

Part 19: Automated Theorem Proving: Clauses, Unification, Equality, and Search →

Robbins Algebras Are Boolean (1996)

2001Chaff: solver engineering

Automated reasoning

Chaff demonstrates how propagation, branching, and implementation choices can dramatically affect SAT performance.

Part 20: Complexity, SAT, and SMT →

Chaff: Engineering an Efficient SAT Solver (2001)

2002 · Reynolds’s surveySeparation logic

Program and system verification

Separation logic organizes local reasoning about disjoint portions of mutable memory, following work by several contributors.

Part 23: Program Verification: Invariants, Semantics, and Local Reasoning →

Separation Logic: A Logic for Shared Mutable Data Structures (2002)

2005 completionA formal Four Color proof

Assistants and formal mathematics

Gonthier, building on work with Werner, completes a Coq formalization. His explanatory article appears in 2008.

Part 25: Formalized Mathematics: Proofs and Reusable Libraries →

Formal Proof, The Four-Color Theorem

2006–2009 · early accountsCompCert’s verified compilation

Program and system verification

Leroy and collaborators develop compiler correctness proofs connecting source and target program behavior.

Part 23: Program Verification: Invariants, Semantics, and Local Reasoning →

CompCert Bibliography

2008Z3’s system paper

Automated reasoning

De Moura and Bjørner present Z3, an SMT solver combining Boolean search with theory reasoning.

Part 20: Complexity, SAT, and SMT →

De Moura and Bjørner, Z3: An Efficient SMT Solver (2008)

2009seL4’s verification result

Program and system verification

The seL4 team reports functional-correctness verification of an operating-system kernel, under explicitly stated assumptions.

Part 23: Program Verification: Invariants, Semantics, and Local Reasoning →

seL4: Formal Verification of an OS Kernel (2009)

2012 completion · 2013 paperThe Odd Order Theorem

Assistants and formal mathematics

A large team led by Gonthier formalizes the theorem in Coq, with extensive reusable algebraic infrastructure.

Part 25: Formalized Mathematics: Proofs and Reusable Libraries →

A Machine-Checked Proof of the Odd Order Theorem

2013The HoTT book

Types, programs, and categories

The collaborative book synthesizes work on identity, equivalence, and univalent foundations during the IAS program.

Part 26: Homotopy Type Theory and Univalence →

Homotopy Type Theory: Univalent Foundations of Mathematics

2013 · project beginsLean’s development begins

Assistants and formal mathematics

De Moura initiates Lean; later versions develop integrated elaboration, automation, and mathematical libraries.

Part 22: Proof Assistants: Foundations and Trust →

Lean Language Reference: Introduction and History

2014 completionFlyspeck completed

Assistants and formal mathematics

The Flyspeck collaboration completes formal verification of the Kepler conjecture proof using HOL Light and Isabelle.

Part 25: Formalized Mathematics: Proofs and Reusable Libraries →

The Flyspeck Project

July 2024 reportAlphaProof and AlphaGeometry 2

Automated reasoning

DeepMind reports a combined silver-medal-level IMO score. The problems were manually formalized, and some computations took days.

Part 27: Learned Theorem Proving: Search, Formalization, and Discovery →

AI Achieves Silver-Medal Standard at the International Mathematical Olympiad

November 2025 publicationAlphaProof methodology

Automated reasoning

A research paper describes reinforcement learning with formal proof feedback. The publication date differs from the 2024 demonstration.

Part 27: Learned Theorem Proving: Search, Formalization, and Discovery →

Hubert and collaborators, Olympiad-Level Formal Mathematical Reasoning with Reinforcement Learning (2025)

2026 · versioned case studyPrimeGapsLib’s conditional theorem

Assistants and formal mathematics

The series examines a versioned Lean theorem on infinitely many prime gaps at most 246. Bombieri–Vinogradov is an explicit hypothesis of that theorem.

Part 27: Learned Theorem Proving: Search, Formalization, and Discovery →

PrimeGapsLib

Dates and editorial choices

The map distinguishes publication, completion, announcement, and approximate periods in its labels. Bars may represent successive works or an approximate lifetime; read each description before treating a range as a continuous project. The axis uses a linear scale with BCE/CE years and no year zero.

The stream assignments and “read alongside” links are editorial navigation aids. They do not establish historical influence. Consult each source and the fuller account in its note. Recent cases are dated snapshots, not a claim to cover every development through the present.

Further exploration

Use these references to explore the series by period, person, or source.

People

These profiles link to the relevant notes. The essays also examine the wider communities and collaborators behind each development.

Engraved portrait of George Boole published in 1865
George Boole (1815–1864)

Algebraic methods for class and propositional reasoning.

Unknown artist, The Illustrated London News, 21 January 1865, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Gottlob Frege around 1879
Gottlob Frege (1848–1925)

Quantification, function–argument analysis, and formal derivations.

Unknown photographer, circa 1879, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Bertrand Russell in 1907
Bertrand Russell (1872–1970)

The paradox of unrestricted formation and type-theoretic responses.

Unknown photographer, 1907, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of David Hilbert wearing a hat before 1912
David Hilbert (1862–1943)

Axiomatization and the metamathematical study of consistency.

Unknown photographer, before 1912, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of L. E. J. Brouwer published by 1937
L. E. J. Brouwer (1881–1966)

Intuitionistic foundations and mathematical construction.

Unknown photographer, 1937 or earlier, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Alfred Tarski in 1968
Alfred Tarski (1901–1983)

Truth, satisfaction, and the semantics of formal languages.

George M. Bergman, 1968; cropped by Off-shell. Oberwolfach Photo Collection via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · GFDL 1.2 or later · Biographical dates
Portrait of Kurt Gödel around 1926
Kurt Gödel (1906–1978)

Completeness, incompleteness, and effective axiomatization.

Unknown photographer, circa 1926, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Alan Turing in 1951
Alan Turing (1912–1954)

Machine computation, effective procedures, and undecidability.

Elliott and Fry, 1951, public domain in its source country, via Wikimedia Commons Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Gerhard Gentzen in Prague in 1945
Gerhard Gentzen (1909–1945)

Natural deduction, cut elimination, and ordinal analysis.

Prague, 1945. Image credited to Eckart Menzler-Trott in the Oberwolfach Photo Collection, via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 2.0 de · Biographical dates
William A. Howard at Carnegie Mellon University in May 2004
William A. Howard (1926–2026)

Constructive derivations and typed terms.

Andrej Bauer, 22 May 2004, CC BY-SA 2.5 Slovenia, via Wikimedia Commons Image record · CC BY-SA 2.5 si · Biographical dates
John McCarthy working at a laptop in 2006
John McCarthy (1927–2011)

Recursive symbolic computation and Lisp.

Tom Varco, 21 April 2006, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Image record · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Biographical dates
Herbert A. Simon, seated, and Allen Newell playing chess around 1958; J. C. Shaw is not pictured
Herbert A. Simon (1916–2001) and Allen Newell (1927–1992)

With J. C. Shaw, heuristic proof search in the Logic Theorist.

Circa 1958. The Commons record credits Paolo Massa; the original photographer is not identified. J. C. Shaw is not pictured. Image record · Public domain · Herbert A. Simon: dates · Allen Newell: dates
Portrait of Robert Kowalski in 2009
Robert Kowalski (b. 1941)

The procedural interpretation of clauses, logic, and control.

Yongyuth Permpoontanalarp, 9 November 2009, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Image record · CC BY 3.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Alain Colmerauer in 1988
Alain Colmerauer (1941–2017)

With Philippe Roussel and collaborators, the development of Prolog.

Alaindavid2, 5 July 1988, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Image record · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of N. G. de Bruijn at Oberwolfach in the 1960s
N. G. de Bruijn (1918–2012)

Automath and the formal representation of mathematical texts.

Konrad Jacobs, 1960s, CC BY-SA 2.0 DE, Oberwolfach Photo Collection via Wikimedia Commons Image record · CC BY-SA 2.0 de · Biographical dates
Portrait of C. A. R. Hoare
C. A. R. Hoare (1934–2026)

Rules connecting commands with preconditions and postconditions.

Nano412, released into the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Stephen A. Cook at the Logic and Complexity fall school in Prague, 2008
Stephen A. Cook (b. 1939)

Polynomial reductions and the complexity of propositional reasoning.

Jiří Janíček, 24 September 2008, via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Biographical dates
Leonid A. Levin before a talk at Rutgers University, 2010
Leonid A. Levin (b. 1948)

Universal search problems and independent work on computational complexity.

Sergio01, 22 September 2010, via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Augustus De Morgan
Augustus De Morgan (1806–1871)

Sophia Elizabeth De Morgan. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Charles Sanders Peirce
Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914)

Charles_Sanders_Peirce_theb3558.jpg : NOAA Office of NOAA Corps Operations derivative work: Ori.livneh ( talk ). Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Ernst Schröder
Ernst Schröder (1841–1902)

Creator not identified in the source record. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of William Stanley Jevons
William Stanley Jevons (1835–1882)

Unknown (via University of Manchester Libraries). Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of John Venn
John Venn (1834–1923)

Unknown (Maull & Fox. studio). Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Marshall H. Stone
Marshall H. Stone (1903–1989)

Detail from a group photograph at the 1932 International Congress of Mathematicians. The available crop has limited resolution.

Johannes Meiner. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Claude Shannon
Claude Shannon (1916–2001)

Unknown photographer or artist. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY 2.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Giuseppe Peano
Giuseppe Peano (1858–1932)

Unknown photographer or artist. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Bernard Bolzano
Bernard Bolzano (1781–1848)

Creator not identified in the source record. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Augustin-Louis Cauchy
Augustin-Louis Cauchy (1789–1857)

Jean Roller (1798–1866). Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Karl Weierstrass
Karl Weierstrass (1815–1897)

Creator not identified in the source record. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Richard Dedekind
Richard Dedekind (1831–1916)

Unknown (Mondadori Publishers). Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Georg Cantor
Georg Cantor (1845–1918)

Unknown photographer or artist. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Alfred North Whitehead
Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947)

unknown. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Frank Ramsey
Frank Ramsey (1903–1930)

Volsav. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Henri Poincaré
Henri Poincaré (1854–1912)

Unknown photographer or artist. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Ernst Zermelo
Ernst Zermelo (1871–1953)

Unknown (Mondadori Publishers). Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Abraham Fraenkel
Abraham Fraenkel (1891–1965)

Unknown photographer or artist. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Thoralf Skolem
Thoralf Skolem (1887–1963)

Unknown photographer or artist. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Paul Bernays
Paul Bernays (1888–1977)

Unbekannt. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Wilhelm Ackermann
Wilhelm Ackermann (1896–1962)

Unknown photographer; historical portrait of Wilhelm Ackermann. The source description contains a typographical error in the death year; the biographical source gives 1962. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of William W. Tait
William W. Tait (1929–2024)

Andrej Bauer. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 2.5 si · Biographical dates
Portrait of Arend Heyting
Arend Heyting (1898–1980)

Jack de Nijs for Anefo. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Stephen Cole Kleene
Stephen Cole Kleene (1909–1994)

Harold N. Hone. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of A. A. Markov
A. A. Markov (1903–1979)

Unknown photographer or artist. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Leopold Kronecker
Leopold Kronecker (1823–1891)

Unknown photographer or artist. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Leon Henkin
Leon Henkin (1921–2006)

George M. Bergman. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Leopold Löwenheim
Leopold Löwenheim (1878–1957)

Unknown photographer or artist. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Rózsa Péter
Rózsa Péter (1905–1977)

Photographer not identified; the source record credits the MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Emil Leon Post
Emil Leon Post (1897–1954)

Creator not identified in the source record. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Albert Muchnik
Albert Muchnik (1934–2019)

Alexander.shen. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Martin Davis
Martin Davis (1928–2023)

George Bergman. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · GFDL 1.2 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Hilary Putnam
Hilary Putnam (1926–2016)

Unknown photographer or artist. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Julia Robinson
Julia Robinson (1919–1985)

George Bergman. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · GFDL 1.2 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Yuri Matiyasevich
Yuri Matiyasevich (b. 1947)

Yuri Matiyasevich. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY 3.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Kurt Schütte
Kurt Schütte (1909–1998)

Konrad Jacobs, Erlangen, Copyright is MFO. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 2.0 de · Biographical dates
Portrait of Solomon Feferman
Solomon Feferman (1928–2016)

Andrej Bauer. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 2.5 si · Biographical dates
Portrait of Harvey Friedman
Harvey Friedman (b. 1948)

Schmid, Renate. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 2.0 de · Biographical dates
Portrait of Stephen G. Simpson
Stephen G. Simpson (b. 1945)

Schmid, Renate. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 2.0 de · Biographical dates
Portrait of Roland Fraïssé
Roland Fraïssé (1920–2008)

Tadaa2026. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY 4.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Jerzy Łoś
Jerzy Łoś (1920–1998)

Unknown photographer or artist. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Abraham Robinson
Abraham Robinson (1918–1974)

Konrad Jacobs. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 2.0 de · Biographical dates
Portrait of Michael D. Morley
Michael D. Morley (1930–2020)

George M. Bergman. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Saharon Shelah
Saharon Shelah (b. 1945)

Andrzej Roslanowski. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Ehud Hrushovski
Ehud Hrushovski (b. 1959)

Ivonne Vetter, Copyright is MFO. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 2.0 de · Biographical dates
Portrait of Bjarni Jónsson
Bjarni Jónsson (1920–2016)

Konrad Jacobs. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 2.0 de · Biographical dates
Portrait of Saul Kripke
Saul Kripke (1940–2022)

Oursipan. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Ruth Barcan Marcus
Ruth Barcan Marcus (1921–2012)

Michael Marsland / Yale University. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY 3.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Arthur Prior
Arthur Prior (1914–1969)

Martin Prior, son of Arthur Prior and copyright holder for this image.. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Jaakko Hintikka
Jaakko Hintikka (1929–2015)

Gate220. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Georg Henrik von Wright
Georg Henrik von Wright (1916–2003)

Anonymous Unknown author. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Robert M. Solovay
Robert M. Solovay (b. 1938)

George M. Bergman. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · GFDL 1.2 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Jan Łukasiewicz
Jan Łukasiewicz (1878–1956)

National Digital Archives of Poland; photographer not identified in the source record. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Lotfi A. Zadeh
Lotfi A. Zadeh (1921–2017)

BBR100. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Petr Hájek
Petr Hájek (1940–2016)

M. H.. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Newton da Costa
Newton da Costa (1929–2024)

George Bergman. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · GFDL 1.2 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Graham Priest
Graham Priest (b. 1948)

Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY 4.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Joachim Lambek
Joachim Lambek (1922–2014)

Andrej Bauer.. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 2.5 si · Biographical dates
Portrait of Jean-Yves Girard
Jean-Yves Girard (b. 1947)

UTLS. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biographical dates
Photograph from around 1922; his death is generally dated to 1942. Portrait of Moses Schönfinkel
Moses Schönfinkel (1888–1942)

Photograph from around 1922; his death is generally dated to 1942.

Open Logic. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Per Martin-Löf
Per Martin-Löf (b. 1942)

Creator not identified in the source record. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of John C. Reynolds
John C. Reynolds (1935–2013)

original picture taken by Andrej Bauer , cropped by romanm ( talk ). Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Thierry Coquand
Thierry Coquand (b. 1961)

Andrej Bauer. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 2.5 si · Biographical dates
Portrait of Gérard Huet
Gérard Huet (b. 1947)

David MacQueen. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Christine Paulin-Mohring
Christine Paulin-Mohring (b. 1962)

David.Monniaux. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Samuel Eilenberg
Samuel Eilenberg (1913–1998)

Konrad Jacobs, Erlangen. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 2.0 de · Biographical dates
Portrait of Saunders Mac Lane
Saunders Mac Lane (1909–2005)

Konrad Jacobs. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 2.0 de · Biographical dates
Portrait of Alexander Grothendieck
Alexander Grothendieck (1928–2014)

Konrad Jacobs, Erlangen, Copyright by MFO / Original uploader was AEDP at it.wikipedia. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of F. William Lawvere
F. William Lawvere (1937–2023)

Andrej Bauer Bmannaa at en.wikipedia. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Dana Scott
Dana Scott (b. 1932)

Logos Semantikos. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Simon Peyton Jones
Simon Peyton Jones (b. 1958)

Duncan.Hull. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Jacques Herbrand
Jacques Herbrand (1908–1931)

Natascha Artin-Brunswick. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY 3.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of John Alan Robinson
John Alan Robinson (1930–2016)

David Monniaux. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Richard M. Karp
Richard M. Karp (b. 1935)

Rama. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 2.0 fr · Biographical dates
Portrait of Michael J. C. Gordon
Michael J. C. Gordon (1948–2017)

Taken by Katriel Cohn-Gordon. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Lawrence Paulson
Lawrence Paulson (b. 1955)

Duncan.Hull. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biographical dates
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Andrzej Trybulec (1941–2013)

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Robert Boyer (b. 1946)

Carlosusass. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of J Strother Moore
J Strother Moore (b. 1947)

Dennis Hamilton. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY 2.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Edsger W. Dijkstra
Edsger W. Dijkstra (1930–2002)

Hamilton Richards. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Biographical dates
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Peter O'Hearn (b. 1963)

Duncan.Hull. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biographical dates
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Xavier Leroy (b. 1968)

David Van Horn. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY 2.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Amir Pnueli
Amir Pnueli (1941–2009)

David Monniaux. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 1.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Edmund M. Clarke
Edmund M. Clarke (1945–2020)

Dennis Hamilton. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY 2.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of E. Allen Emerson
E. Allen Emerson (1954–2024)

Copyright E. Allen Emerson (the subject). Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Joseph Sifakis
Joseph Sifakis (b. 1946)

Joseph Sifakis. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Moshe Vardi
Moshe Vardi (b. 1954)

David Monniaux. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Gerard J. Holzmann
Gerard J. Holzmann (b. 1951)

Dennis Hamilton. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY 2.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Randal Bryant
Randal Bryant (b. 1952)

Dennis Hamilton. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY 2.0 · Biographical dates
Portrait of Patrick Cousot
Patrick Cousot (b. 1948)

Rama. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 2.0 fr · Biographical dates
Portrait of Radhia Cousot
Radhia Cousot (1947–2014)

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Portrait of Kenneth Appel
Kenneth Appel (1932–2013)

ActiviaYogurt. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC0 · Biographical dates
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Wolfgang Haken (1928–2022)

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Thomas Hales (b. 1958)

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Portrait of Richard DeMillo
Richard DeMillo (b. 1947)

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Portrait of Thomas Streicher
Thomas Streicher (1958–2025)

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Steve Awodey (b. 1959)

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Vladimir Voevodsky (1966–2017)

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James Maynard (b. 1987)

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Portrait of Yitang Zhang
Yitang Zhang (b. 1955)

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Later depiction: a seventeenth-century print by Jan de Bisschop. Portrait of Zeno of Elea
Zeno of Elea (c. 490–c. 430 BCE)

Later depiction: a seventeenth-century print by Jan de Bisschop.

Jan de Bisschop. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC0 · Biographical dates
Later likeness: a Roman marble portrait, possibly copied from a lost Greek bronze. Portrait of Socrates
Socrates (c. 470–399 BCE)

Later likeness: a Roman marble portrait, possibly copied from a lost Greek bronze.

Copy of Lysippos (?). Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Later likeness: a marble copy of the portrait attributed to Silanion. Portrait of Plato
Plato (c. 428–347 BCE)

Later likeness: a marble copy of the portrait attributed to Silanion.

© Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Later likeness: a Roman copy after a Greek portrait; the mantle is a modern addition. Portrait of Aristotle
Aristotle (384–322 BCE)

Later likeness: a Roman copy after a Greek portrait; the mantle is a modern addition.

After Lysippos. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Later depiction: a bust in the Palermo Botanical Garden. Portrait of Theophrastus
Theophrastus (c. 371–c. 287 BCE)

Later depiction: a bust in the Palermo Botanical Garden.

Teofrasto_Orto_botanico_PA.jpg : tato grasso derivative work: Singinglemon ( talk ). Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Biographical dates
Later likeness: a Roman marble copy after a lost Hellenistic original. Portrait of Chrysippus
Chrysippus (c. 279–c. 206 BCE)

Later likeness: a Roman marble copy after a lost Hellenistic original.

Unknown artist Unknown artist. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Later depiction: an engraving by Georg Paul Busch. Portrait of Galen
Galen (129–c. 216 CE)

Later depiction: an engraving by Georg Paul Busch.

Georg Paul Busch (engraver). Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Later depiction: an illustration in André Thevet's collection of portraits, 1584. Portrait of Porphyry
Porphyry (c. 234–c. 305 CE)

Later depiction: an illustration in André Thevet's collection of portraits, 1584.

Unknown photographer or artist. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Later depiction from the Bibliothèque nationale de France portrait collection. Portrait of Alexander of Aphrodisias
Alexander of Aphrodisias (active c. 200 CE)

Later depiction from the Bibliothèque nationale de France portrait collection.

Creator not identified in the source record. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Later depiction: a medieval illustration of the late-antique author. Portrait of Boethius
Boethius (c. 480–524 CE)

Later depiction: a medieval illustration of the late-antique author.

Unknown photographer or artist. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Later depiction: an imagined portrait in the Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493. Portrait of Al-Fārābī
Al-Fārābī (c. 870–950/951)

Later depiction: an imagined portrait in the Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493.

Mr.Nostalgic. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Later depiction: a reproduction of a bust held in the National Library of Medicine collection. Portrait of Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna)
Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna) (c. 980–1037)

Later depiction: a reproduction of a bust held in the National Library of Medicine collection.

National Library of Medicine. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · No restrictions · Biographical dates
Later depiction: a detail of Andrea di Bonaiuto's fourteenth-century fresco in Florence. Portrait of Ibn Rushd (Averroes)
Ibn Rushd (Averroes) (1126–1198)

Later depiction: a detail of Andrea di Bonaiuto's fourteenth-century fresco in Florence.

Sailko. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY 3.0 · Biographical dates
Later depiction: an Iranian commemorative stamp issued in 1976. Portrait of Nasir al-Din al-Tusi
Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (1201–1274)

Later depiction: an Iranian commemorative stamp issued in 1976.

Creator not identified in the source record. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Later depiction: a portrait published in the eighteenth-century Thesaurus antiquitatum sacrarum. Portrait of Maimonides
Maimonides (1135 or 1138–1204)

Later depiction: a portrait published in the eighteenth-century Thesaurus antiquitatum sacrarum.

Blaisio Ugolino. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Later depiction: an engraving by Antoni Oleszczyński. Portrait of Peter Abelard
Peter Abelard (1079–1142)

Later depiction: an engraving by Antoni Oleszczyński.

Antoni Oleszczyński. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Later depiction: stained glass in a church in Surrey. Portrait of William of Ockham
William of Ockham (c. 1287–1347)

Later depiction: stained glass in a church in Surrey.

self-created (Moscarlop). Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Biographical dates
Later depiction: a manuscript illustration from around 1370, now in the Jagiellonian Library. Portrait of John Buridan
John Buridan (c. 1301–c. 1359/1362)

Later depiction: a manuscript illustration from around 1370, now in the Jagiellonian Library.

Unknown photographer or artist. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Later depiction: a commemorative statue at Udayanacharya Sanskrit Vidyalaya. Portrait of Udayana
Udayana (c. 975–1050 CE)

Later depiction: a commemorative statue at Udayanacharya Sanskrit Vidyalaya.

pravendrakt. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Biographical dates
Later depiction: a modern Buddhavanam relief showing Dignāga teaching Buddhist logic. Portrait of Dignāga
Dignāga (c. 480–c. 540 CE)

Later depiction: a modern Buddhavanam relief showing Dignāga teaching Buddhist logic.

Anandajoti. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biographical dates
Later depiction: a Tibetan portrait from the fifteenth or sixteenth century, Cleveland Museum of Art. Portrait of Dharmakīrti
Dharmakīrti (active c. 600–670 CE)

Later depiction: a Tibetan portrait from the fifteenth or sixteenth century, Cleveland Museum of Art.

Creator not identified in the source record. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC0 · Biographical dates
Later painted depiction of Mozi
Mozi (c. 470–c. 391 BCE)

Later depiction: an imagined portrait, not a contemporary record of his appearance.

Vjacheslav Rublevskiy. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC0 · Biographical dates
Later depiction: a modern commemorative sculpture in Xiamen Garden Expo Park. Portrait of Hui Shi
Hui Shi (c. 370–c. 310 BCE)

Later depiction: a modern commemorative sculpture in Xiamen Garden Expo Park.

向史公哲曰. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biographical dates
Later depiction: a traditional portrait, not a contemporary record of his appearance. Portrait of Xunzi
Xunzi (c. 310–after 238 BCE)

Later depiction: a traditional portrait, not a contemporary record of his appearance.

Unknown photographer or artist. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Later depiction: a Japanese religious portrait; not a contemporary likeness. Portrait of Xuanzang
Xuanzang (602–664)

Later depiction: a Japanese religious portrait; not a contemporary likeness.

Unknown photographer or artist. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Later depiction: a Japanese religious portrait; not a contemporary likeness. Portrait of Kuiji
Kuiji (632–682)

Later depiction: a Japanese religious portrait; not a contemporary likeness.

Unknown photographer or artist. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon (1561–1626)

Paul van Somer I / Formerly attributed to Frans Pourbus the Younger. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Antoine Arnauld
Antoine Arnauld (1612–1694)

Jean Baptiste de Champaigne. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Pierre Nicole
Pierre Nicole (1625–1695)

Unidentified painter. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646–1716)

Christoph Bernhard Francke. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Louis Couturat
Louis Couturat (1868–1914)

Unknown photographer or artist. Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Portrait of Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant (1724–1804)

Johann Gottlieb Becker (1720-1782). Via Wikimedia Commons. Image record · Public domain · Biographical dates
Graduation portrait of Haskell Curry
Haskell Curry (1900–1982)

Harvard graduation portrait, published in 1920.

Photographer not identified. Harvard Class Album, 1920, p. 173; Allen County Public Library via Internet Archive. Portrait extracted from the page; no retouching. Image record · Public domain (published before 1931) · Biographical dates
Graduation portrait of Alonzo Church
Alonzo Church (1903–1995)

Princeton graduation portrait, published in 1924.

Photographer not identified. Nassau Herald, 1924, p. 101; Princeton University Library. Portrait extracted from the page; no retouching. Image record · Public domain (published before 1931) · Biographical dates
Reference index

A consolidated selection of sources. Consult each note's bibliography for reading specific to its subject.

  1. The Emergence of First-Order Logic
  2. Begriffsschrift (1879)
  3. Mathematical Problems (1900)
  4. Principia Mathematica
  5. Zermelo's Axiomatization of Set Theory
  6. Intuitionism in the Philosophy of Mathematics
  7. Hilbert's Program
  8. Kurt Gödel
  9. Gödel's Incompleteness Theorems
  10. Tarski's Truth Definitions
  11. An Unsolvable Problem of Elementary Number Theory (1936)
  12. On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem
  13. The Development of Proof Theory
  14. Propositions as Types
  15. An Intuitionistic Theory of Types (1972)
  16. The Logic Theory Machine: A Complex Information Processing System (1956)
  17. A Computing Procedure for Quantification Theory (1960)
  18. A Machine-Oriented Logic Based on the Resolution Principle (1965)
  19. Predicate Logic as Programming Language (1974)
  20. An Axiomatic Basis for Computer Programming (1969)
  21. Description of the Language Automath (1967)
  22. History of Interactive Theorem Proving
  23. About the Rocq Prover
  24. Isabelle Overview
  25. A History of Haskell
  26. Formal Proof, The Four-Color Theorem
  27. A Machine-Checked Proof of the Odd Order Theorem
  28. The Flyspeck Project
  29. CompCert Bibliography
  30. Lean Language Reference: Introduction and History
  31. Mathlib
  32. Recursive Functions of Symbolic Expressions (1960)
  33. A Note on the Entscheidungsproblem (1936)
  34. Church's Type Theory
  35. Assigning Meanings to Programs (1967)
  36. seL4: Formal Verification of an OS Kernel (2009)
  37. Homotopy Type Theory: Univalent Foundations of Mathematics
  38. Hilbert's Tenth Problem
  39. The Continuum Hypothesis
  40. Aristotle's Logic
  41. Leibniz's Influence on 19th Century Logic
  42. The Early Development of Set Theory
  43. Continuity and Infinitesimals
  44. AI Achieves Silver-Medal Standard at the International Mathematical Olympiad
  45. PrimeGapsLib
  46. Skolem's Paradox
  47. Computational Complexity Theory
  48. Chaff: Engineering an Efficient SAT Solver (2001)
  49. Temporal Logic
  50. Social Processes and Proofs of Theorems and Programs (1979)
  51. The Development of Intuitionistic Logic
  52. Intuitionistic Logic
  53. Recursive Functions
  54. Second-order and Higher-order Logic
  55. Generalized Quantifiers
  56. Modal Logic
  57. Provability Logic
  58. Guarded Commands, Nondeterminacy and a Calculus for the Derivation of Programs (1975)
  59. Separation Logic: A Logic for Shared Mutable Data Structures (2002)
  60. Robbins Algebras Are Boolean (1996)
  61. Ibn Sina's Logic
  62. Gaṅgeśa
  63. Mohism