22 July 2016
History of Science - The foundations saga: from Euclid to Gödel
With his “Elements” Euclid has coined the one and only acceptable method of conceiving Mathematics: a solid deductive process based on a careful selection of axioms and the Aristotelian rules of inference. During the 19th century, the appearance of various alternative theories has given rise to a new problem: to assess a collection of axioms with respect to its consistency and completeness. This has led to the famous Gödel's incompleteness theorems. In this course we will study the ideas and limitations of axiomatic theories drawing examples from non Euclidean geometries, set theory and number theory.
Course outline
I. Pre – Euclidean mathematics. The Elements.
II. The challenges of non – Euclidean geometries.
III. Cantor’s set theory, Peano’s axioms and related paradoxes.
IV Hilbert’s second problem and Gödel’s theorem.
V. Alternative approaches: Turing machines, halting problem
Course leader
Tefcros Michaelides, Ph.D.
Target group
High School students, 1st and 2nd year University students
Course aim
The course aims at the study of the ideas of axiomatic theories drawing examples from non Euclidean geometries, set theory and number theory
Fee info
EUR 0: The course is a part of the complete program "1st Science Summer School", with total cost 770 EUR (accommodation and transport are included).