Representing knowledge in first-order logic (FOL); reasoning; semantics ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A handout was provided giving a brief introduction to - How one represents basic and more complex facts in first-order logic (e.g., ones like "Robbie is a robot", or "Every robot was built by someone (or something)") - How one can do basic reasoning (e.g., using modus ponens: if A holds and (A => B) holds, we can conclude that B holds as well) in FOL, and the need for nondeductive as well as deductive methods (and entirely nonlogical methods such as imagistic thinking and skills like tying shoelaces) - The basic ideas behind semantics (putting symbols into correspondence with a domain of discourse, thus *interpreting* the symbols, and defining truth) - The essential role of sematics not only in providing an understanding of how it can be that symbols express truth about a world under an intended interpretation of the symbols, but also in providing a basis for judging whether proposed rules of inference are *sound* (truth preserving).