"This accessible approach to set theory for upper-level undergraduates poses rigorous but simple arguments. Each definition is accompanied by commentary that motivates and explains new concepts. A historical introduction is followed by discussions of classes and sets, functions, natural and cardinal numbers, the arithmetic of ordinal numbers, and related topics. 1971 edition with new material by the author"--

This exploration of a notorious mathematical problem is the work of the man who discovered the solution. Written by an award-winning professor at Stanford University, it employs intuitive explanations as well as detailed mathematical proofs in a self-contained treatment. This unique text and reference is suitable for students and professionals. 1966 edition. Copyright renewed 1994.

Designed for undergraduate students of set theory, Classic Set Theory presents a modern perspective of the classic work of Georg Cantor and Richard Dedekin and their immediate successors. This includes:The definition of the real numbers in terms of rational numbers and ultimately in terms of natural numbersDefining natural numbers in terms of setsThe potential paradoxes in set theoryThe Zermelo-Fraenkel axioms for set theoryThe axiom of choiceThe arithmetic of ordered setsCantor's two sorts of transfinite number - cardinals and ordinals - and the arithmetic of these.The book is designed for students studying on their own, without access to lecturers and other reading, along the lines of the internationally renowned courses produced by the Open University. There are thus a large number of exercises within the main body of the text designed to help students engage with the subject, many of which have full teaching solutions. In addition, there are a number of exercises without answers so students studying under the guidance of a tutor may be assessed.Classic Set Theory gives students sufficient grounding in a rigorous approach to the revolutionary results of set theory as well as pleasure in being able to tackle significant problems that arise from the theory.

This is an introductory undergraduate textbook in set theory. In mathematics these days, essentially everything is a set. Some knowledge of set theory is necessary part of the background everyone needs for further study of mathematics. It is also possible to study set theory for its own interest--it is a subject with intruiging results anout simple objects. This book starts with material that nobody can do without. There is no end to what can be learned of set theory, but here is a beginning.

Although this book deals with basic set theory (in general, it stops short of areas where model-theoretic methods are used) on a rather advanced level, it does it at an unhurried pace. This enables the author to pay close attention to interesting and important aspects of the topic that might otherwise be skipped over. Written for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students, the book is divided into two parts. The first covers pure set theory, including the basic notions, order and well-foundedness, cardinal numbers, the ordinals, and the axiom of choice and some of its consequences. The second part deals with applications and advanced topics, among them a review of point set topology, the real spaces, Boolean algebras, and infinite combinatorics and large cardinals. A helpful appendix deals with eliminability and conservation theorems, while numerous exercises supply additional information on the subject matter and help students test their grasp of the material. 1979 edition. 20 figures.

What this book is about. The theory of sets is a vibrant, exciting math ematical theory, with its own basic notions, fundamental results and deep open problems, and with significant applications to other mathematical theories. At the same time, axiomatic set theory is often viewed as a foun dation ofmathematics: it is alleged that all mathematical objects are sets, and their properties can be derived from the relatively few and elegant axioms about sets. Nothing so simple-minded can be quite true, but there is little doubt that in standard, current mathematical practice, "making a notion precise" is essentially synonymous with "defining it in set theory. " Set theory is the official language of mathematics, just as mathematics is the official language of science. Like most authors of elementary, introductory books about sets, I have tried to do justice to both aspects of the subject. From straight set theory, these Notes cover the basic facts about "ab stract sets," including the Axiom of Choice, transfinite recursion, and car dinal and ordinal numbers. Somewhat less common is the inclusion of a chapter on "pointsets" which focuses on results of interest to analysts and introduces the reader to the Continuum Problem, central to set theory from the very beginning.