Melvin Fitting

Melvin Fitting
Born (1942-01-24) 24 January 1942
U.S.
Fields Mathematics, Philosophy, Computer Science
Institutions City University of New York
Alma mater Yeshiva University
Doctoral advisor Raymond Smullyan
Notable awards Herbrand Award by CADE, June 2012

Melvin "Mel" Fitting (born January 24, 1942 in Troy, New York) is a logician with special interests in philosophical logic and tableau proof systems.[lower-alpha 1] From 1968 to 2013 he was a Professor at City University of New York, Lehman College and the Graduate Center. At the Graduate Center he was in the departments of Computer Science, Philosophy, and Mathematics, and at Lehman College he was in the department of Mathematics and Computer Science. He is now Professor emeritus. His undergraduate degree is from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and his doctorate is from Yeshiva University, both in mathematics. His thesis advisor was Raymond Smullyan.

In June 2012 Melvin Fitting was given the Herbrand Award by CADE, for distinguished contributions to automated deduction.[lower-alpha 2]

A loose motivation for much of Melvin Fitting's work can be formulated succinctly as follows. There are many logics. Our principles of reasoning vary with context and subject matter. Multiplicity is one of the glories of modern formal logic. The common thread tying logics together is a concern for what can be said (syntax), what that means (semantics), and relationships between the two. A philosophical position that can be embodied in a formal logic has been shown to be coherent, not correct. Logic is a tool, not a master, but it is an enjoyable tool to use.

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