Hilbert on different notions of completeness: a conceptual and historical analysis (Q2866439)

In the first part of the paper, the author analyses different notions of `completeness' in mathematical logic, distinguishing between completeness of a logical calculus, deductive/syntactic completeness of a theory in a formal language, semantic completeness of a theory, categoricity, and model-maximality (as introduced by Hilbert in his 1900 Zahlbegriff). In the second part, she provides a historical analysis of the evolution of the term `completeness' between the 1890s and 1930. In particular, she discusses Hilbert's various uses of the term, and shows how several completeness notions appearing in major results of that period were already present in Hilbert's writings. Thus, it is argued, Hilbert himself may actually have created the possibility of Gödel undermining Hilbert's Program.