WFF 'N PROOF is a game of
modern logic, developed to teach principles of
symbolic logic
Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the study of deductively valid inferences or logical truths. It examines how conclusions follow from premises based on the structure o ...
. It was developed by Layman E. Allen in 1962
a former professor of
Yale Law School
Yale Law School (YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824. The 2020–21 acceptance rate was 4%, the lowest of any law school in the United ...
and the
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
.
Rules
As marketed in the 1960s WFF 'N PROOF was a series of 20 games of increasing complexity, varying with the logical rules and methods available.
All players must be able to recognize a "
well-formed formula
In mathematical logic, propositional logic and predicate logic, a well-formed formula, abbreviated WFF or wff, often simply formula, is a finite sequence of symbols from a given alphabet that is part of a formal language.
The abbreviation wf ...
" (WFF in
Łukasiewicz notation), to assemble dice values into valid statements (WFFs) and to apply the rules of logical inference so as to complete a
proof.
Games are played by two or more people. The first player to roll the cubes sets a WFF as a Goal. Each player then tries to construct (with whatever is available) a complete logical proof of the goal. The Solution to the goal is the Premises which they started their proof with, and the Rules they used to get to the Goal.
Players take turns moving to the Essentials, Permitted Premises, or Permitted Rules sections of the mat. Any cube moved to Essentials must be used in any Solution, and must be an essential part of that solution; any cube value in Permitted Premises may be used as part of a premise; any cube value in Permitted Rules may be used as part of a Rule. Thus the players themselves shape the Solution, forcing one another to create new Solutions in response to moves.
At any point a player may challenge the last mover, if they feel the last mover has made a mistake. There are three types of Challenges. A-Flub means that the Challenger can make a Solution using the cubes in Required and Permitted and one more cube from Resources. P-Flub, or Challenge Impossible means the player believes the Mover cannot make a Solution using the cubes in Required, Permitted, and Resources. C-A-Flub means that the Challenger believes that the Mover, or some previous mover, missed an A-Flub. After a challenge, at least one player must show a correct Solution on paper.
The scoring goes like this:
The player who wins the challenge scores 10 points.
The loser of the challenge scores 6.
If there is a third player, he must side with or against the Challenger and scores points depending upon that decision.
Name
The name is a play on
Whiffenpoofs, an a cappella singing group established at Yale University in 1909.
[The Rev. James M. Howard, Yale Class of 1909]
"An Authentic Account of the Founding of the Whiffenpoofs"
Reviews
*''Games & Puzzles''
archive.org
/ref>
See also
* Academic Games
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
* {{cite web , title=WFF 'N PROOF: The Game of Modern Logic , work=Games For Thinkers , date=2018 , url=https://www.gamesforthinkers.org/all/logic/wff-n-proof-the-game-of-modern-logic/ , access-date=2022-07-03 , url-status=live , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703003134/https://gamesforthinkers.org/all/logic/wff-n-proof-the-game-of-modern-logic/ , archive-date=2022-07-03
Educational games
Formal languages
Metalogic
Syntax (logic)
Mathematical logic
Logical expressions