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Gödel’s Incompleteness
Theorems are among the most significant results in the foundation
of mathematics. These results have a positive consequence: any
system of axioms for mathematics that we recognize as correct can
be properly extended by adding as a new axiom a formal statement
expressing that the original system is consistent. This suggests
that our mathematical knowledge is inexhaustible, an essentially
philosophical topic to which this book is devoted.
Basic
material in predicate logic, set theory and recursion theory is
presented, leading to a proof of incompleteness theorems. The
inexhaustibility of mathematical knowledge is treated based on the
concept of transfinite progressions of theories as conceived by
Turing and Feferman.
All
concepts and results necessary to understand the arguments are
introduced as needed, making the presentation self-contained and
thorough.
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