Scientific Mission

The scientific mission of the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) is to study formal properties of information, viz. the logical structure and algorithmic properties of processes of encoding, transmitting and comprehending information.

Information here is to be viewed in its broadest sense, from the flow of information in natural and formal languages to the information contained in music and graphics. The research aim is to develop logical systems that can handle this rich variety of information, making use of insights across such disciplines as linguistics, computer science, cognitive science, artificial intelligence and philosophy.

Whenever relevant, additional methods, ranging from statistics to argumentation theory, are actively pursued as well. In addition to its specific research goals the ILLC aims to overcome traditional boundaries between faculties and disciplines and serves as a rallying point for information scientists across computer science, computational linguistics, linguistics, philosophy, and the social sciences.