Related papers: Infinity - A simple, but not too simple introducti…
In which a review of the concept of countability is done in mathematics, subjecting review some of the theorems so far accepted, showing their inconsistency and also taking concrete elements on the countability of all the powers of the set…
Cantor's famous construction of the real continuum in terms of Cauchy sequences of rationals proceeds by imposing a suitable equivalence relation. More generally, the completion of a metric space starts from an analogous equivalence…
We discuss several aspects of infinity in the history of mathematics.
Matrices are very popular and widely used in mathematics and other fields of science. Every mathematician has known the properties of finite-sized matrices since the time of study. In this paper, we consider the basic theory of infnite…
In this paper I introduce a new and intuitive first-order foundational theory (where the concept of set is not primitive) and use it to show that the power set of an infinite set does not exist. In particular, proofs of uncountability of a…
We explore the issue of providing a foundational framework for Leibnizian infinitesimals in the light of modern standard and nonstandard approaches. We outline a trichotomy of ordinals, cardinals and ringinals as a historiographic tool. A…
The embracing of actual infinity in mathematics leads naturally to the question of comparing the sizes of infinite collections. The basic dilemma is that the Cantor Principle (CP), according to which two sets have the same size if there is…
It is advisable to avoid and, even better, demystify such grandiose terms as "infinity" or "singularity" in the description of the cosmos. Its proliferation does not positively contribute to the understanding of key concepts that are…
This paper introduces the concept of a generic finite set, and points out that a consistent and significant interpretation of the grossone notation of Yarolslav D. Sergeyev is that of a generic natural number. This means that the grossone…
Historically, infinity was long considered a vague concept - boundless, endless, larger than the largest - without any quantifiable mathematical foundation. This view changed in the 1800s through the pioneering work of Georg Cantor showing…
A mathematical framework is proposed for the "big bang". It starts with some Cantor set and assumes the existence of a transformation from that set to the continuum set used in conventional physical theories like general relativity and…
In teaching infinitesimal calculus we sought to present basic concepts like continuity and convergence by comparing and contrasting various definitions, rather than presenting "the definition" to the students as a monolithic absolute. We…
We apply an inductive argument to three theorems of Cantor on (1) the uncountability of infinite binary sequences, (2) the uncountability of real numbers, and (3) the non-equinumerosity of sets with their powersets. This technique proves…
We introduce a model of simple type theory with potential infinite carrier sets. The functions in this model are automatically continuous, as defined in this paper. This notion of continuity does not rely on topological concepts, including…
Alan Turing is considered as a founder of current computer science together with Kurt Godel, Alonzo Church and John von Neumann. In this paper multiple new research results are presented. It is demonstrated that there would not be Alan…
Infinitary Combinatorics shows interesting contrasts, with many similarities but also several important differences with its finite analog. The purpose of this paper is to present some concrete examples, both of similarities and of radical…
It is well known that the set of algebraic numbers (let us call it $A$) is countable. In this paper, instead of the usage of the classical terminology of cardinals proposed by Cantor, a recently introduced methodology using \G1-based…
What happens when mathematics realizes infinity. When are mathematical definitions actually useful?
We examine prevailing philosophical and historical views about the origin of infinitesimal mathematics in light of modern infinitesimal theories, and show the works of Fermat, Leibniz, Euler, Cauchy and other giants of infinitesimal…
We start by presenting a theory of finite sets using the approach which is essentially that taken by Whitehead and Russell in Principia Mathematica}, and which does not involve the natural numbers (or any other infinite set). This theory is…