As a part of the Spring 2012 Mid-Atlanatic Mathematical Logic Seminar, to be held March 9-10, 2012 at the CUNY Graduate Center, I shall participate in the following panel discussion.

Panel discussion: The unity and diversity of logic

Abstract.  The field of mathematical logic sometimes seems to be fracturing into ever-finer subdisciplines, with little connection between them, and many logicians now identify themselves by their specific subdiscipline.  On the other hand, certain new themes have appeared which tend to unify the diverse discoveries of the many subdisciplines.  This discussion will address these trends and ask whether one is likely to dominate the other in the long term.  Will logic remain a single field, or will it split into many unrelated branches?

The panelists will be Prof. Gregory Cherlin, myself, Prof. Rohit Parikh, and Prof. Jouko Väänänen, with the discussion moderated by Prof. Russell Miller. Questions and participation from the audience are encouraged.

As preparation for this panel discussion, please suggest points or topics that might brought up at the panel discussion, by posting suitable comments below.  Perhaps we’ll proceed with our own pre-discussion discussion here!