Set theory without the infinite

CUNY Logic WorkshopFriday, October 24, 20142:00 pmGC 6417

Laurence Kirby

Set theory without the infinite

Baruch College - CUNY

The historical origins of set theory lay in the study of the infinite. Later came the universalist claim that set theory is a foundation for all of mathematics. We consider the consequences of accepting the universalism without accepting the infinite. We come to see finite sets as graphs or as processes, the result of their own coming into being. Basic methods of set construction give rise to arithmetics of sets with some surprising properties.

Laurie Kirby received his Ph.D. from Manchester University in 1977. After spells in Paris and Princeton, he joined Baruch College as a professor in 1982.

Posted by on September 4th, 2014