Rating: *****
Tags: Lang:en
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Added: August 9, 2020
Modified: November 5, 2021
Summary
In 1931, the young Kurt Gödel published his First
Incompleteness Theorem, which tells us that, for any
sufficiently rich theory of arithmetic, there are some
arithmetical truths the theory cannot prove. This remarkable
result is among the most intriguing (and most misunderstood)
in logic. Gödel also outlined an equally significant
Second Incompleteness Theorem. How are these Theorems
established, and why do they matter? Peter Smith
answers these questions by presenting an unusual variety of
proofs for the First Theorem, showing how to prove the Second
Theorem, and exploring a family of related results (including
some not easily available elsewhere). The formal explanations
are interwoven with discussions of the wider significance of
the two Theorems. This book will be accessible to philosophy
students with a limited formal background. It is equally
suitable for mathematics students taking a first course in
mathematical logic. **