Set theory is the branch of mathematical logic that studies sets, informally described as collections of objects, along with their sizes, structures and the axioms that can found the rest of mathematics upon them. It emerged in the 1870s through the work of Georg Cantor and Richard Dedekind. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Central QuestionWhat are the possible sizes of infinite collections, and what axioms can consistently and completely found the rest of mathematics on the notion of a set? 1 Key DebateWhether the axiom of choice, which guarantees a selection function for any collection of nonempty sets without constructing one, should be accepted as a foundational axiom. Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory adopts it as standard (ZFC), but constructivist mathematicians reject the non-computable objects it entails, and Bertrand Russell's discovery that unrestricted set formation produces contradictions forced the field away from naive set theory entirely. 1 Classification
Pure or Applied Connections
Associated With
Founder of set theory, 1870s.
Source Set Theory (Wikipedia)
Includes
Source Transfinite Recursion Theorem (Wikipedia)
Source Uncountable Set (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: Von Neumann universe
Source Wikipedia: Wacław Sierpiński
Source Wolfram MathWorld: Wilkie's Theorem
Source Woodin cardinal (Wikipedia)
Showing 51 to 57 of 57 in Includes, page 2 of 2.
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1. Set Theory (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead and origins sections
the branch of mathematical logic that studies sets, which can be informally described as collections of objects
Origins and central questions
Cantor is commonly considered the founder of set theory
Notable debates section
Let R be the set of all sets that are not members of themselves
Associated With: Georg Cantor, Origins section
Cantor is commonly considered the founder of set theory
View the Source Cantor Set (Wikipedia)
Kőnig's theorem (set theory) (Wikipedia)
Includes: Konig's Theorem (Set Theory), LeadQuote, Includes: Konig's Theorem (Set Theory), Lead
In set theory, Kőnig's theorem states that if the axiom of choice holds
View the Source Wikipedia: Cardinal number
Includes: Aleph Number, Lead
a cardinal number, or cardinal for short, is a kind of number that measures the cardinality of a set
Includes: Cardinal Number, Lead paragraph
The properties of other aleph numbers and of infinite cardinal numbers in general depend on statements independent of Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory, such as the axiom of choice and the continuum hypothesis.
View the SourceHilbert's Paradox of the Grand Hotel (Wikipedia)
Includes: Hilbert's Paradox of the Grand Hotel, LeadQuote, Includes: Hilbert's Paradox of the Grand Hotel, Lead
is a thought experiment which illustrates a counterintuitive property of infinite sets
View the Source Jack Silver, Wikipedia
Includes: Silver's Theorem, Article textQuote, Includes: Silver's Theorem, Article text
Jack Howard Silver (23 April 1942-22 December 2016) was an American set theorist and logician at the University of California, Berkeley.
View the Source Wikipedia: Tree (set theory)
Woodin cardinal (Wikipedia)
Includes: Woodin Cardinal, Lead sentenceQuote, Includes: Woodin Cardinal, Lead sentence
In set theory, a Woodin cardinal (named for W.
View the Source Borel determinacy theorem (Wikipedia)
Includes: Borel Determinacy Theorem, Lead sentenceQuote, Includes: Borel Determinacy Theorem, Lead sentence
In descriptive set theory, the Borel determinacy theorem states that any Gale-Stewart game whose payoff set is a Borel set is dete
View the Source Beth Number (Wikipedia)
Includes: Beth number, Lead sentenceQuote, Includes: Beth number, Lead sentence
In mathematics, particularly in set theory, the beth numbers form a certain (unset) sequence of infinite cardinal numbers (also kn
View the Source Wikipedia: Ordinal number
Includes: Ordinal Number, Lead sentenceQuote, Includes: Ordinal Number, Lead sentence
In set theory, an ordinal number, or ordinal, is a generalization of ordinal numerals (first, second, nth, etc.) aimed to extend e
View the Source Wikipedia: Von Neumann universe
Includes: Von Neumann Universe, Lead sentenceQuote, Includes: Von Neumann Universe, Lead sentence
In set theory and related branches of mathematics, the von Neumann universe, or von Neumann hierarchy of sets, denoted by V, is th
View the Source Wikipedia: Aronszajn tree
Includes: Aronszajn Tree, Lead sentenceQuote, Includes: Aronszajn Tree, Lead sentence
In set theory, an Aronszajn tree is a tree of uncountable height with no uncountable branches and no uncountable levels.
View the Source Inaccessible cardinal (Wikipedia)
Includes: Inaccessible Cardinal, Lead sentenceQuote, Includes: Inaccessible Cardinal, Lead sentence
In set theory, a cardinal number is a strongly inaccessible cardinal if it is uncountable, regular, and a strong limit cardinal.
View the Source Measurable cardinal (Wikipedia)
Includes: Measurable Cardinal, Lead sentenceQuote, Includes: Measurable Cardinal, Lead sentence
In mathematics, specifically in set theory, a measurable cardinal is a certain kind of large cardinal number.
View the Source Erdos-Rado theorem (Wikipedia)
Fodor's lemma, Wikipedia
Includes: Fodor's Lemma, Lead sentenceQuote, Includes: Fodor's Lemma, Lead sentence
In mathematics, particularly in set theory, Fodor's lemma (or the pressing-down lemma) states: In modern parlance, the nonstationa
View the Source Solovay model, Wikipedia
Includes: Solovay's Theorem, Lead sentenceQuote, Includes: Solovay's Theorem, Lead sentence
In the mathematical field of set theory, the Solovay model is a model constructed by Robert M.
View the Source Easton's theorem, Wikipedia
Includes: Easton's Theorem, Lead sentenceQuote, Includes: Easton's Theorem, Lead sentence
In set theory, Easton's theorem is a result on the possible cardinal numbers of powersets.
View the Source Cardinality of the Continuum (Wikipedia)
Axiom of Infinity (Wikipedia)
Includes: Axiom of Infinity, Lead sentenceQuote, Includes: Axiom of Infinity, Lead sentence
In axiomatic set theory and the branches of mathematics and philosophy that use it, the axiom of infinity is one of the axioms of
View the Source Constructible Universe (Wikipedia)
Thoralf Skolem (Wikipedia)
Includes: Thoralf Skolem, Lead paragraph [in-branch]Quote, Includes: Thoralf Skolem, Lead paragraph [in-branch]
set theory
View the Source Wikipedia: Donald A. Martin
Includes: Donald A. Martin, LeadQuote, Includes: Donald A. Martin, Lead
is an American set theorist
View the Source Wikipedia: Wacław Sierpiński
Includes: Wacław Sierpiński, LeadQuote, Includes: Wacław Sierpiński, Lead
known for contributions to set theory
View the Source Wikipedia: Đuro Kurepa
Includes: Đuro Kurepa, LeadQuote, Includes: Đuro Kurepa, Lead
his thesis was titled Ensembles ordonnés et ramifiés
View the Source Robert M. Solovay, Wikipedia
Includes: Robert M. Solovay, LeadQuote, Includes: Robert M. Solovay, Lead
Robert Martin Solovay (born December 15, 1938) is an American mathematician working in set theory.
View the Source Wikipedia: Kazimierz Kuratowski
Includes: Kazimierz Kuratowski, LeadQuote, Includes: Kazimierz Kuratowski, Lead
He is primarily known for his contributions to set theory, topology, measure theory and graph theory.
View the Source Wikipedia: Joseph R. Shoenfield
Includes: Joseph R. Shoenfield, LeadQuote, Includes: Joseph R. Shoenfield, Lead
Shoenfield worked on recursion theory, model theory and axiomatic set theory.
View the Source Wikipedia: Ernst Specker
Includes: Ernst Specker, LeadQuote, Includes: Ernst Specker, Lead
Much of his most influential work was on Willard Van Orman Quine's New Foundations, a set theory with a universal set, but he is most famous for the Kochen-Specker theorem in quantum mechanics, showing that certain types of hidden-variable theories are impossible.
View the Source Paul Cohen (Wikipedia)
Includes: Paul Cohen (mathematician), Lead paragraph
Paul Joseph Cohen (April 2, 1934, March 23, 2007) was an American mathematician, best known for his proofs that the continuum hypothesis and the axiom of choice are independent from Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory, for which he was awarded a Fields Medal.
Includes: Cohen's Independence Theorem, Lead paragraph
Paul Joseph Cohen (April 2, 1934, March 23, 2007) was an American mathematician, best known for his proofs that the continuum hypothesis and the axiom of choice are independent from Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory, for which he was awarded a Fields Medal.
View the SourceInhabited set (Wikipedia)
Includes: Inhabited Set, Lead paragraphQuote, Includes: Inhabited Set, Lead paragraph
However, this equivalence is not valid in constructive or intuitionistic logic, and so this separate terminology is mostly used in the set theory of constructive mathematics.
View the Source Pairing Function (Wikipedia)
Includes: Pairing function, Lead paragraphQuote, Includes: Pairing function, Lead paragraph
Any pairing function can be used in set theory to prove that integers and rational numbers have the same cardinality as natural numbers.
View the Source Wikipedia: Set (Mathematics)
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Set (mathematics), Lead paragraphQuote, Includes: Set (mathematics), Lead paragraph
That is, set theory serves as foundation of mathematics.
View the Source Graph of a Function (Wikipedia)
Includes: Graph of a Function, Lead paragraphQuote, Includes: Graph of a Function, Lead paragraph
In the modern foundations of mathematics, and, typically, in set theory, a function is actually equal to its graph.
View the Source Wolfram MathWorld: Wilkie's Theorem
Wolfram MathWorldIncludes: Wilkie's Theorem, Subject classificationsQuote, Includes: Wilkie's Theorem, Subject classifications
Foundations of Mathematics Set Theory
View the Source Wolfram MathWorld: Rank
Wolfram MathWorldIncludes: Rank (Linear Algebra), Subject classificationsQuote, Includes: Rank (Linear Algebra), Subject classifications
Foundations of Mathematics Set Theory
View the Source Wolfram MathWorld: Continuum
Wolfram MathWorldIncludes: Continuum (Set Theory), Subject classificationsQuote, Includes: Continuum (Set Theory), Subject classifications
Foundations of Mathematics Set Theory
View the Source Wolfram MathWorld: Solution Set
Wolfram MathWorldIncludes: Solution Set, Subject classificationsQuote, Includes: Solution Set, Subject classifications
Foundations of Mathematics Set Theory
View the Source Wolfram MathWorld: Mex
Wolfram MathWorldIncludes: Mex (Mathematics), Subject classificationsQuote, Includes: Mex (Mathematics), Subject classifications
Foundations of Mathematics Set Theory
View the Source Wolfram MathWorld: Countable Set
Wolfram MathWorldIncludes: Countable Set, Subject classificationsQuote, Includes: Countable Set, Subject classifications
Foundations of Mathematics Set Theory
View the Source Cardinality (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Cardinality, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: Cardinality, Lead section
In mathematics, cardinality is an inherent property of sets, roughly meaning the number of individual objects
View the Source Transfinite Recursion Theorem (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Transfinite Recursion Theorem, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: Transfinite Recursion Theorem, Lead section
well-ordered set
View the Source Absolute Infinite (Wikipedia)
Includes: Absolute Infinite, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: Absolute Infinite, Lead section
The absolute infinite is an extension of the idea of infinity proposed by mathematician Georg Cantor. Cantor
View the Source Injective Function (Wikipedia)
Includes: Injective Function, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: Injective Function, Lead section
In mathematics, an injective function (also known as injection, or one-to-one function) is a function f that
View the Source Surjective Function (Wikipedia)
Includes: Surjective Function, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: Surjective Function, Lead section
In mathematics, a surjective function (also known as surjection, or onto function ) is a function f such that
View the Source Uncountable Set (Wikipedia)
Includes: Uncountable Set, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: Uncountable Set, Lead section
In mathematics, an uncountable set, informally, is an infinite set that contains
View the Source Bijection, Injection and Surjection (Wikipedia)
Includes: Bijection, injection and surjection, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: Bijection, injection and surjection, Lead section
In mathematics, injections, surjections, and bijections are classes of functions distinguished by the
View the Source MacTutor biography of Max Zorn, St Andrews
Includes: Max Zorn, BiographyQuote, Includes: Max Zorn, Biography
equivalent to the Axiom of Choice
View the Source Abraham Fraenkel, Biography (MacTutor History of Mathematics)
Includes: Abraham Fraenkel, SummaryQuote, Includes: Abraham Fraenkel, Summary
Abraham Fraenkel was a German-born mathematician who made contributions to axiomatic set theory. He is the F in the ZFC axioms for set theory.
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