scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1339027

Publication date 22 September 1999

Borel diagonalization Borel measurability Cantor's theorem constructible hierarchy finite graphs finite Ramsey theory finite trees forcing foundations of mathematics Gödel's incompleteness theorems independence results predicativity reverse mathematics well-quasi-ordering ZFC

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Introductory exposition (textbooks, tutorial papers, etc.) pertaining to mathematical logic and foundations (03-01) Research exposition (monographs, survey articles) pertaining to mathematical logic and foundations (03-02) Philosophical and critical aspects of logic and foundations (03A05) Foundations of classical theories (including reverse mathematics) (03B30) Undecidability and degrees of sets of sentences (03D35) Axiomatics of classical set theory and its fragments (03E30) Consistency and independence results (03E35) Second- and higher-order arithmetic and fragments (03F35)

Review text

The incompleteness phenomena have been a principal topic of research of the foundations of mathematics since the work of Kurt Gödel in the 1930's. Incompleteness refers to the following property of most, but not all, formal systems (i.e., set of axioms and rules of inference): that there remain sentences expressed within its language that are neither provable nor refutable within that formal system. Such a sentence is said to be independent of the given formal system. The incompleteness phenomena discussed here are distinguished by the variety of mathematical contexts and levels of abstraction represented by the independent sentences, as well as the scope or strength of the formal systems from which the sentences are independent. The modern incompleteness phenomena obviously have the potential for forcing a reassessment of the foundations of mathematics. However, such a forced reassessment by the mathematics community has not occurred, despite the presently known incompleteness phenomena. We give a brief indication of why this is so. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0921.00016].

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