Michael Potter presents a comprehensive new philosophical introduction to set theory.
Anyone wishing to work on the logical foundations of mathematics must understand set theory, which lies at its heart.
Potter offers a thorough account of cardinal and ordinal arithmetic, and the various axiom candidates. He discusses in detail the project of set-theoretic reduction, which aims to interpret the rest of mathematics in terms of set theory.
The key question here is how to deal with the paradoxes that bedevil set theory. Potter offers a strikingly simple version of the most widely accepted response to the paradoxes, which classifies sets by means of a hierarchy of levels.
What makes the book unique is that it interweaves a careful presentation of the technical material with a penetrating philosophical critique.
Potter does not merely expound the theory dogmatically but at every stage discusses in detail the reasons that can be offered for believing it to be true. Set Theory and its Philosophy is a key text for philosophy, mathematical logic, and computer science.
By:
Michael Potter ( Department of Philosophy University of Cambridge) Imprint: Oxford University Press Country of Publication: United Kingdom Dimensions:
Height: 233mm,
Width: 155mm,
Spine: 18mm
Weight: 524g ISBN:9780199270415 ISBN 10: 0199270414 Pages: 360 Publication Date:01 March 2004 Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format:Paperback Publisher's Status: Active
Reviews for Set Theory and its Philosophy: A Critical Introduction
a wonderful new book . . . Potter has written the best philosophical introduction to set theory on the market * Timothy Bays, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *