An Impossible Asylum

DOI10.1080/00029890.2023.2176668MaRDI QIDQ6042557zbMATH OpenFDO

Authors Jeremy Avigad, Alexander Bentkamp, Marijn J. H. Heule, Wojciech Nawrocki

Publication date 11 May 2023

Published in The American Mathematical Monthly (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/2112.02142

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Introductory exposition (textbooks, tutorial papers, etc.) pertaining to mathematical logic and foundations (03-01) Mechanization of proofs and logical operations (03B35) Theorem proving (automated and interactive theorem provers, deduction, resolution, etc.) (68V15)

Abstract: In 1982, Raymond Smullyan published an article, "The Asylum of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether," that consists of a series of puzzles. These were later reprinted in the anthology, "The Lady or The Tiger? and Other Logic Puzzles." The last puzzle, which describes the asylum alluded to in the title, was designed to be especially difficult. With the help of automated reasoning, we show that the puzzle's hypotheses are, in fact, inconsistent, which is to say, no such asylum can possibly exist.

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Cites work

• A concise introduction to mathematical logic
• A mathematical introduction to logic.
• Decision procedures. An algorithmic point of view. With foreword by Randal E. Bryant
• Handbook of automated reasoning. In 2 vols
• Handbook of satisfiability. In 2 parts
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 5539366 (Why is no real title available?)
• Opinion: The Mechanization of Mathematics

Cited in

(2)

• Curing Instant Insanity II
• The Possible Asylum

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