An outline of set theory (Q1088661)

As the author states in the preface, this book is meant to be used in a problem-oriented course in Set Theory. In 44 projects the students should work their way through the material presented here: Ch. 1: ''Logic and Set Theory'' puts familiar notions like functions, relations etc. in the formal framework of ZF Set Theory. Ch. 2: ''The Natural Numbers'' introduces the finite ordinals and shows that they satisfy Peano's Axioms. Ch. 3,4,5 contain constructions of the reals from the rationals from the integers from the natural numbers. Ch. 6: ''The Ordinals'' treats well ordering, ordinal arithmetic and transfinite recursion. Ch. 7: ''The Cardinals'' contains cardinality, finite and countable sets and the Alephs. The last three chapters are largely independent of each other: Ch. 8: ''The Universe'' deals with the \(V_{\alpha}\)-hierarchy. Ch. 9: ''Choice and Infinitesimals'' gives the best-known equivalents of the Axiom of Choice: well-ordering and Zorn's Lemma, and then introduces non-standard reals via ultra-powers. Ch. 10: ''Goodstein's Theorem'' deals with a mathematical variation of Hercules' fight against Hydra. The theorem, chosen since its proof needs infinite sets in an essential way, says that Hercules will win although it can take some time. These chapters occur and reoccur in three parts: Projects, Suggestions and Solutions. The project part is very sketchy, the other parts give more details. There are many books that give a more extensive and maybe even better treatment of Set Theory but that is not the point there. A student who finishes a well-led course based on this book will gain a fair amount of mathematical maturity and she will learn that set theory does have its uses in mathematics. She will also be ready for the ''bigger'' books on set-theory.