Logic Machines and Diagrams.

First edition, first printing, and a lovely copy in the dust jacket.

Author Martin Gardner (1914-2010) was a populariser of mathematics, particularly recreational mathematics, as well as a leading figure in the worlds of magic, puzzles, and 19th and early 20th century literature, particularly Lewis Carroll.

As Gardner explains in the preface, 'A logic machine is a device, electrical or mechanical, designed specifically for solving problems in formal logic. A logic diagram is a geometrical method for doing the same thing. The two fields are closely intertwined, and this book is the first attempt in any language to trace their curious, fascinating history'. The contents begin with Roman Lull's Ars Magna and includes the Stanhope Demonstrator, Jevons's Logic Machine, and Marquand's Machine, among others, and ends with a discussion of the future of logic machines and their relevance to modern computing.

First edition, first printing; 8vo; illustrations within the text, slight crease to the edge of the half-title, contents fresh; original grey cloth, titles to spine in white and red, an excellent copy in the rubbed and toned jacket with some nicks, short splits, and creasing at the edges; 157pp.