Computational Logic - International

Computational Logic is a wide interdisciplinary field having its theoretical and practical roots in mathematics, computer science, logic, and artificial intelligence. Indeed, its wideness of scope anchors in the power and generality of logic based reasoning across the spectrum of scientific disciplines, and in its practical use in the form of computer supported automated tools. As a consequence, it has its applications in computer science itself, mathematics, the engineering sciences, humanities and social sciences including Law, as well as in the natural sciences, and in interdisciplinary fields like cognitive science.

Program Objectives

The objective of the program is to impart to the students the profound theoretical and practical knowledge required for professional practice in the field, to give them a survey of the individual disciplines of Computational Logic and to develop their ability to work according to scientific methods. In addition, the students are given the opportunity to plan their studies to fit a particular practical application. To acquire practice-oriented knowledge they may choose appropriate combinations of modules. By means of visits abroad and English as the language of instruction, the students are to be prepared for the increasing internationalism of science, commerce and industry.

The focus of instruction lies in the following areas: mathematical logic, logic programming, deduction systems, knowledge representation, artificial intelligence, methods of formal specification and verification, inference techniques, syntax-directed semantics, and the relationship between theoretical computer science and logic.

Professional Perspective

Today's information technology is witnessing a change - and the change is omnipresent. It is getting closer to our lives and plays a more active role in day-to-day activities with more and more people using it for diverse needs: from on-line transactions, on-line chat and e-mail to fancy browsers and real-time audio and video; computers and especially the Internet have taken the entire world by a storm. The Internet is a scientific invention that has really influenced the way we think and act. As all this increasingly transfuses into our lives, the more mind boggling it becomes for the computer scientists to handle various key issues involved in data security, transactions, network computing, network architecture, computer architecture, complex software, distributed platforms and in short - every little aspect which affects our present day computer society. As our systems become smarter every day and as the major organizations vie for the maximum market share, present computer scientists are forced to understand the key issues even faster while making advanced sophistication look a triviality. Computational Logic is a unique paradigm to address problems in hardware and software design that are too complex to be solved by plain heuristics and rules of thumb. It is no longer the case that hardware can survive without good software and vice versa.

Based on a solid background in mathematical logic and its subareas (as normally taught in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence courses), a student of the International MSc Program will learn the engineering aspects of Computational Logic: how does a deductive system operate, what kind of logic-based grammar can be used to process natural language, how can techniques for the verification of software and hardware be applied in industry, what kind of implementation techniques are needed for logic-based systems, what formal methods are required for computer integrated manufacturing, how to apply formal methods for the layout of blue prints for machines and processes, and what problems occur in such applications.

Programming. Software engineering in Computational Logic includes logic programming, constraint programming, and functional programming, program analysis, program synthesis, and program transformation. The student will learn how to analyze problems and algorithms according to the properties of decidability, tractability, and complexity.

Commencement and Duration of Study

The program normally commences in the winter semester.

The regular period of study including preparation and defense of the MSc thesis comprises four semesters.

The deadline for applications is 31st May for courses commencing in October the same year.