Boole (George) An Investigation of the Laws of Thought on which are founded the Mathematical Theories of Logic and Probabilities, first edition, errata leaf, 8pp. publisher's catalogue at end, original black cloth, spine ends expertly repaired, preserved in fleece-lined cloth drop-back box with leather book-label of Haven O'More, [Norman 266; Origins of Cyberspace 2248vo, London & Cambridge, 1854.

⁂ A fine copy of one of the landmarks of science. Bertrand Russell remarked that "pure mathematics was discovered by George Boole in [this] work." "Booleinvented the first practical system of logic in algebraic form, which enabled more advances in logic to be made in the decades of the nineteenth century than in the twenty-two centuries preceding.Boole's work led to the creation of set theory and probability theory in mathematics, to the philosophical work of Peirce, Russell, Whitehead and Wittgenstein, and to computer technology via the master's thesis of C.E. Shannon (1937), who recognized that the true/false values inBoole's two valued algebra were analogous to the open and closed states of electric circuits. This invention of the binary digit or "bit" made possible the development of the digital computer" (Norman). 2019 is the 200th anniversary of Boole's birth.

This issue with errata leaf at end of contents; with L2 and Q8 cancels (as usual); with 8pp. catalogue (undated); without the 'note' leaf; title with Walton and Maberly imprint as well as Macmillan and Co.; bound in blind-stamped black cloth without the central lozenge and without Boole's name on spine.

Provenance: Hamilton Owen Rendel (bookplate and ink name on endpaper); H.D. Williams (pencil inscription on front pastedown).