Title
Gödel's Proof / Ernest Nagel, James R. Newman.
ISBN
9780814759035
Published
New York, NY : : New York University Press, [2001]
Copyright
©2001
Language
English
Language Note
In English.
Description
1 online resource
Item Number
10.18574/nyu/9780814759035.001.0001 doi
Call Number
QA9.65
Dewey Decimal Classification
511.3
Summary
In 1931 Kurt Gödel published his fundamental paper, "On Formally Undecidable Propositions of Principia Mathematica and Related Systems." This revolutionary paper challenged certain basic assumptions underlying much research in mathematics and logic. Gödel received public recognition of his work in 1951 when he was awarded the first Albert Einstein Award for achievement in the natural sciences-perhaps the highest award of its kind in the United States. The award committee described his work in mathematical logic as "one of the greatest contributions to the sciences in recent times." However, few mathematicians of the time were equipped to understand the young scholar's complex proof. Ernest Nagel and James Newman provide a readable and accessible explanation to both scholars and non-specialists of the main ideas and broad implications of Gödel's discovery. It offers every educated person with a taste for logic and philosophy the chance to understand a previously difficult and inaccessible subject. New York University Press is proud to publish this special edition of one of its bestselling books. With a new introduction by Douglas R. Hofstadter, this book will appeal students, scholars, and professionals in the fields of mathematics, computer science, logic and philosophy, and science.
Access Note
Access limited to authorized users.
System Details Note
Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.
Digital File Characteristics
text file PDF
Source of Description
Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 18. Sep 2023)
Available in Other Form
print 9780814758168
Frontmatter
Contents
Foreword to the New Edition
Acknowledgments
I. Introduction
II. The Problem of Consistency
III. Absolute Proofs of Consistency
IV. The Systematic Codification of Formal Logic
V. An Example of a Successful Absolute Proof of Consistency
VI. The Idea of Mapping and Its Use in Mathematics
VII. Gödel's Proofs
VIII. Concluding Reflections
Appendix
Brief Bibliography
Index