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Joachim Lambek: The Interplay of Mathematics, Logic, and Linguistics

  • Discusses J. Lambek’s groundbreaking works in mathematics, logic, linguistics, and theoretical computer science
  • Surveys the fundamental influence of Lambek’s methods in algebra, proof theory, and computability
  • Explores Lambek’s seminal ideas on linear logics, vector space models of grammar, and categorical models of language

Part of the book series: Outstanding Contributions to Logic (OCTR, volume 20)

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Table of contents (11 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxxii
  2. On the Naturalness of Mal’tsev Categories

    • Dominique Bourn, Marino Gran, Pierre-Alain Jacqmin
    Pages 59-104
  3. Extensions of Lambek Calculi

    • Wojciech Buszkowski
    Pages 105-134
  4. Categories with Families: Unityped, Simply Typed, and Dependently Typed

    • Simon Castellan, Pierre Clairambault, Peter Dybjer
    Pages 135-180
  5. The Mathematics of Text Structure

    • Bob Coecke
    Pages 181-217
  6. Aspects of Categorical Recursion Theory

    • Pieter Hofstra, Philip Scott
    Pages 219-269
  7. Morphisms of Rings

    • Robert Paré
    Pages 271-298
  8. Pomset Logic

    • Christian Retoré
    Pages 299-345
  9. Pregroup Grammars, Their Syntax and Semantics

    • Mehrnoosh Sadrzadeh
    Pages 347-376
  10. The Sequent Calculus of Skew Monoidal Categories

    • Tarmo Uustalu, Niccolò Veltri, Noam Zeilberger
    Pages 377-406
  11. Back Matter

    Pages 407-432

About this book

This book is dedicated to the life and work of the mathematician Joachim Lambek (1922–2014). The editors gather together noted experts to discuss the state of the art of various of Lambek’s works in logic, category theory, and linguistics and to celebrate his contributions to those areas over the course of his multifaceted career. 

After early work in combinatorics and elementary number theory, Lambek became a distinguished algebraist (notably in ring theory).  In the 1960s, he began to work in category theory, categorical algebra, logic, proof theory, and foundations of computability.  In a parallel development, beginning in the late 1950s and for the rest of his career, Lambek also worked extensively in mathematical linguistics and computational approaches to natural languages. He and his collaborators perfected production and type grammars for numerous natural languages. Lambek grammars form an early noncommutative precursor to Girard’s linear logic. In a surprising development (2000), he introduced a novel and deeper algebraic framework (which he called pregroup grammars) for analyzing natural language, along with algebraic, higher category, and proof-theoretic semantics.   

This book is of interest to mathematicians, logicians, linguists, and computer scientists.

Editors and Affiliations

  • Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures, University of Chieti-Pescara, Pescara, Italy

    Claudia Casadio

  • Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada

    Philip J. Scott

About the editors

Claudia Casadio is Full Professor in Logic and Philosophy of Science at the University G. D'Annunzio, Chieti–Pescara, in the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures.  Her research focuses on language and thinking, in particular: linguistic and cognitive categories, formal properties of natural language, human reasoning, interaction of formal, and mathematical vs. concrete thinking.  


Philip Scott is Emeritus Full Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Ottawa.  His interests include categorical logic and algebra, proof theory, linear logic, and theoretical computer science.  He is a senior editor of two major journals in these areas.  He was a long-time collaborator of J. Lambek and the co-author of their well-known book Introduction to Higher Order Categorical Logic (1986).

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Joachim Lambek: The Interplay of Mathematics, Logic, and Linguistics

  • Editors: Claudia Casadio, Philip J. Scott

  • Series Title: Outstanding Contributions to Logic

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66545-6

  • Publisher: Springer Cham

  • eBook Packages: Religion and Philosophy, Philosophy and Religion (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-66544-9Published: 21 March 2021

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-66547-0Published: 21 March 2022

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-66545-6Published: 20 March 2021

  • Series ISSN: 2211-2758

  • Series E-ISSN: 2211-2766

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XXXII, 432

  • Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Logic, Philosophy, general, Linguistics, general, Mathematical Logic and Foundations

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access