Readings

The main text for this course is:

Buy at Amazon Hofstadter, Douglas R. Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. Basic Books, 1999. ISBN: 9780465026562.

Readings are listed by page number in the table below.

WEEK # TOPICS READINGS DIALOGUES DIALOGUE READINGS
1 Introduction- Chapter III: Welcome, tools for thinking, formal systems pp. 82–102 Three part invention; two-part invention; sonata for unaccompanied Achilles; contracrostipunctus pp. 29–32, 43–5, 61–3, and 75–81
2 Chapter IV: Consistency, Completeness, and Geometry pp. 127–52 Little harmonic Labyrinth pp. 103–26
3 Chapter V: Recursive Structures and Processes pp. 158–76 Canon by intervallic augmentation pp. 153–7
4 Chapter VI: The Location of Meaning pp. 204–30 Crab canon pp. 199–203
5 Chapter VIII: Typographical Number Theory pp. 246–72 A Mu offering pp. 231–45
6 Chapter IX: Mumon and Gödel pp. 495–548 Edifying thoughts of a tobacco smoker pp. 480–94
7 Chapter XVI: Self-Ref and self-Rep pp. 337–65 Prelude...; ...Ant Fugue pp. 275–84, and 311–36
8 Chapter XI: Brains and Thoughts No assigned reading None scheduled No assigned reading