Set theory, logic, and their limitations

Moshe Machover9780521479981, 0521479983, 0521474930, 9780521474931

In this introduction to set theory and logic, the author discusses first order logic, and gives a rigorous axiomatic presentation of Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory. He includes many methodological remarks and explanations, and demonstrates how the basic concepts of mathematics can be reduced to set theory. He explains concepts and results of recursion theory in intuitive terms, and reaches the limitative results of Skolem, Tarski, Church and Gödel (the celebrated incompleteness theorems). For students of mathematics and philosophy, this book provides an excellent introduction to logic and set theory.