I have been recently studying a C.G. Hempel's article on mathematical truth and pointed out his foll

Misael Matthews

Misael Matthews

Answered question

2022-06-15

I have been recently studying a C.G. Hempel's article on mathematical truth and pointed out his following quotation: "Every concept of mathematics can be defined by means of Peano's three primitives,and every proposition of mathematics can be deduced from the five postulates enriched by the definitions of the non-primitive terms".

I was wondering if it is possible for someone to make a scheme illustrating the sequence of the derivation of the whole theory of mathematics being derived by these postulates.Possibly starting from natural numbers?(notice that Hempel excludes geometry)

Answer & Explanation

laure6237ma

laure6237ma

Beginner2022-06-16Added 27 answers

Starting from Peano's 5 postulates for N, S and 0, plus logic and set theory, we can construct the usual addition, multiplication and exponentiation functions on N. From these, we can construct the set of integers Z (as sets of ordered pairs of natural numbers) and the corresponding arithmetic operations on Z. Then the set of rational numbers Q (as sets of ordered pairs of integers) with the corresponding arithmetic operations on Q. Then we can construct the set of real numbers R (as sets of rational numbers) and the corresponding arithmetic operators. Then the set of complex numbers C (as sets of ordered pairs of rational numbers) and its operators.

Other sets and operators (e.g. derivatives, integrals in calculus) can be constructed using logic and set theory, and their consequences worked out to derive the theorems of algebra, number theory and analysis.

As for geometry, if it is to include any notion of a real-valued distance between pairs of points, the construction of the real numbers must precede the introduction of any axioms of that geometry. In that sense, such a geometry could also be seen as a consequence of Peano's Axioms.

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