This is the website for PHIL 452. Modal Logic (Fall 2026).

The electronic textbook for the course, Modal Logic, will be available online. Further resources include: 

  • Blackburn, de Rijke, and Venema. Modal Logic, Cambridge University Press, 2022.
  • Cresswell and Hughes. A New Introduction to Modal Logic. Taylor & Francis, 1996.
    NB. Hughes and Cresswell use the symbol L for \(\Box\) and M for \(\Diamond\).

The schedule below will include links to lecture notes, problem sets, and other materials for the course.

Sign up for a problem presentation.

schedule

date topic activities
  BACKGROUND  
Mon 8/24 Relations  
Wed 8/26 Induction and Recursion  
Mon 8/31 Basic Language  
Wed 9/2 Problem Session 1 Presentation
  PROPOSITIONAL LOGIC  
Mon 9/7 University Holiday: Labor Day  
Wed 9/9 Axiomatic Derivations Written Solutions
Mon 9/14 The Deduction Theorem  
Wed 9/16 Problem Session 2 Presentation
Mon 9/21 Completeness  
  MODAL PROPOSITIONAL LOGIC  
Wed 9/23 Basic Language Written Solutions
Mon 9/28 Frames  
Wed 9/30 Problem Session 3 Presentation
Mon 10/5 Frame Definability  
Wed 10/7 Bisimulations Written Solutions
Mon 10/12 Axiomatic Derivations  
Wed 10/14 Problem Session 4 Presentation
Mon 10/19 Normal Modal Logics  
Wed 10/21 Canonical Models Written Solutions
Mon 10/26 Completeness  
Wed 10/28 Problem Session 5 Presentation
  SELECTED APPLICATIONS  
Mon 11/2 Deontic Logic  
Wed 11/4 Epistemic Logic: Knowledge Written Solutions
Mon 11/9 Information Flow &
Common Knowledge		  
Wed 11/11 University Holiday: Veterans Day  
Mon 11/16 Conditionals Project Proposal
Wed 11/18 Problem Session 6 Presentation
Mon 11/23 Sphere Models  
Wed 11/25 Thanksgiving Break Written Solutions
Mon 11/30 Quantificational Modal Logic  
Wed 12/2 Free Quantificational Modal Logic  
     
Wed 12/11 Final Project Due
4 pm