Paradoxes and Inconsistent Mathematics

Paradoxes and Inconsistent Mathematics PDF

Author: Zach Weber

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2021-10-21

Total Pages: 339

ISBN-13: 1108999026

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Logical paradoxes – like the Liar, Russell's, and the Sorites – are notorious. But in Paradoxes and Inconsistent Mathematics, it is argued that they are only the noisiest of many. Contradictions arise in the everyday, from the smallest points to the widest boundaries. In this book, Zach Weber uses “dialetheic paraconsistency” – a formal framework where some contradictions can be true without absurdity – as the basis for developing this idea rigorously, from mathematical foundations up. In doing so, Weber directly addresses a longstanding open question: how much standard mathematics can paraconsistency capture? The guiding focus is on a more basic question, of why there are paradoxes. Details underscore a simple philosophical claim: that paradoxes are found in the ordinary, and that is what makes them so extraordinary.

Inconsistent Mathematics

Inconsistent Mathematics PDF

Author: C.E. Mortensen

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-03-14

Total Pages: 167

ISBN-13: 9401584532

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without a properly developed inconsistent calculus based on infinitesimals, then in consistent claims from the history of the calculus might well simply be symptoms of confusion. This is addressed in Chapter 5. It is further argued that mathematics has a certain primacy over logic, in that paraconsistent or relevant logics have to be based on inconsistent mathematics. If the latter turns out to be reasonably rich then paraconsistentism is vindicated; while if inconsistent mathematics has seri ous restriytions then the case for being interested in inconsistency-tolerant logics is weakened. (On such restrictions, see this chapter, section 3. ) It must be conceded that fault-tolerant computer programming (e. g. Chapter 8) finds a substantial and important use for paraconsistent logics, albeit with an epistemological motivation (see this chapter, section 3). But even here it should be noted that if inconsistent mathematics turned out to be functionally impoverished then so would inconsistent databases. 2. Summary In Chapter 2, Meyer's results on relevant arithmetic are set out, and his view that they have a bearing on G8del's incompleteness theorems is discussed. Model theory for nonclassical logics is also set out so as to be able to show that the inconsistency of inconsistent theories can be controlled or limited, but in this book model theory is kept in the background as much as possible. This is then used to study the functional properties of various equational number theories.

Paradoxes

Paradoxes PDF

Author: Hamza E. Alsamraee

Publisher: Curious Math Publications

Published: 2020-09-10

Total Pages: 214

ISBN-13: 1735715603

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Does .999?=1? Can you cut and reassemble a sphere into two identically sized spheres? Is the consistency of mathematical systems unprovable? Surprisingly, the answer to all of these questions is yes! And at the heart of each question, there lies paradox. For millennia, paradoxes have shaped mathematics and guided mathematical progress forwards. From the ancient paradoxes of Zeno to the modern paradoxes of Russell, paradoxes remind us of the constant need to revamp our mathematical understanding. It is for this reason that paradoxes are so important. Paradoxes: Guiding Forces in Mathematical Exploration provides a survey of mathematical paradoxes spanning a wide variety of topics. It delves into each paradox mathematically, philosophically, and historically, and attempts to provide a full picture of how paradoxes contributed to the progress of mathematics and guided it in many ways. In addition, it discusses how paradoxes can be useful as educational tools. All of that, plus the fact that it is written in a way that is accessible to anyone with a high school background in mathematics! Entertaining and educational, this book will appeal to any reader looking for a mathematical and philosophical challenge.

Mathematical Fallacies and Paradoxes

Mathematical Fallacies and Paradoxes PDF

Author: Bryan Bunch

Publisher: Courier Corporation

Published: 2012-10-16

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 0486137937

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Stimulating, thought-provoking analysis of the most interesting intellectual inconsistencies in mathematics, physics, and language, including being led astray by algebra (De Morgan's paradox). 1982 edition.

Puzzles, Paradoxes, and Problem Solving

Puzzles, Paradoxes, and Problem Solving PDF

Author: Marilyn A. Reba

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2014-12-15

Total Pages: 605

ISBN-13: 1482297930

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A Classroom-Tested, Alternative Approach to Teaching Math for Liberal Arts Puzzles, Paradoxes, and Problem Solving: An Introduction to Mathematical Thinking uses puzzles and paradoxes to introduce basic principles of mathematical thought. The text is designed for students in liberal arts mathematics courses. Decision-making situations that progress

Philosophical Approaches to the Foundations of Logic and Mathematics

Philosophical Approaches to the Foundations of Logic and Mathematics PDF

Author: Marcin Trepczyński

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2021-01-25

Total Pages: 316

ISBN-13: 9004445951

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Philosophical Approaches to the Foundations of Logic and Mathematics consists of eleven articles addressing various aspects of the "roots" of logic and mathematics, their basic concepts and the mechanisms that work in the practice of their use.

Sleight of Mind

Sleight of Mind PDF

Author: Matt Cook

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2021-08-03

Total Pages: 369

ISBN-13: 0262542293

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This “fun, brain-twisting book . . . will make you think” as it explores more than 75 paradoxes in mathematics, philosophy, physics, and the social sciences (Sean Carroll, New York Times–bestselling author of Something Deeply Hidden). Paradox is a sophisticated kind of magic trick. A magician’s purpose is to create the appearance of impossibility, to pull a rabbit from an empty hat. Yet paradox doesn’t require tangibles, like rabbits or hats. Paradox works in the abstract, with words and concepts and symbols, to create the illusion of contradiction. There are no contradictions in reality, but there can appear to be. In Sleight of Mind, Matt Cook and a few collaborators dive deeply into more than 75 paradoxes in mathematics, physics, philosophy, and the social sciences. As each paradox is discussed and resolved, Cook helps readers discover the meaning of knowledge and the proper formation of concepts—and how reason can dispel the illusion of contradiction. The journey begins with “a most ingenious paradox” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance. Readers will then travel from Ancient Greece to cutting-edge laboratories, encounter infinity and its different sizes, and discover mathematical impossibilities inherent in elections. They will tackle conundrums in probability, induction, geometry, and game theory; perform “supertasks”; build apparent perpetual motion machines; meet twins living in different millennia; explore the strange quantum world—and much more.

Paradoxes and Sophisms in Calculus

Paradoxes and Sophisms in Calculus PDF

Author: Sergiy Klymchuk

Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.

Published: 2013-12-31

Total Pages: 98

ISBN-13: 1614441103

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Paradoxes and Sophisms in Calculus offers a delightful supplementary resource to enhance the study of single variable calculus. By the word paradox the [Author];s mean a surprising, unexpected, counter-intuitive statement that looks invalid, but in fact is true. The word sophism describes intentionally invalid reasoning that looks formally correct, but in fact contains a subtle mistake or flaw. In other words, a sophism is a false proof of an incorrect statement. A collection of over fifty paradoxes and sophisms showcases the subtleties of this subject and leads students to contemplate the underlying concepts. A number of the examples treat historically significant issues that arose in the development of calculus, while others more naturally challenge readers to understand common misconceptions. Sophisms and paradoxes from the areas of functions, limits, derivatives, integrals, sequences, and series are explored.

On the Brink of Paradox

On the Brink of Paradox PDF

Author: Agustin Rayo

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2019-04-02

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 0262039419

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An introduction to awe-inspiring ideas at the brink of paradox: infinities of different sizes, time travel, probability and measure theory, and computability theory. This book introduces the reader to awe-inspiring issues at the intersection of philosophy and mathematics. It explores ideas at the brink of paradox: infinities of different sizes, time travel, probability and measure theory, computability theory, the Grandfather Paradox, Newcomb's Problem, the Principle of Countable Additivity. The goal is to present some exceptionally beautiful ideas in enough detail to enable readers to understand the ideas themselves (rather than watered-down approximations), but without supplying so much detail that they abandon the effort. The philosophical content requires a mind attuned to subtlety; the most demanding of the mathematical ideas require familiarity with college-level mathematics or mathematical proof. The book covers Cantor's revolutionary thinking about infinity, which leads to the result that some infinities are bigger than others; time travel and free will, decision theory, probability, and the Banach-Tarski Theorem, which states that it is possible to decompose a ball into a finite number of pieces and reassemble the pieces so as to get two balls that are each the same size as the original. Its investigation of computability theory leads to a proof of Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem, which yields the amazing result that arithmetic is so complex that no computer could be programmed to output every arithmetical truth and no falsehood. Each chapter is followed by an appendix with answers to exercises. A list of recommended reading points readers to more advanced discussions. The book is based on a popular course (and MOOC) taught by the author at MIT.

A Budget of Paradoxes

A Budget of Paradoxes PDF

Author: Augustus De Morgan

Publisher: Cosimo, Inc.

Published: 2007-04-01

Total Pages: 809

ISBN-13: 1602063206

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A Budget of Paradoxes, originally published in 1915, is mathematician Augustus De Morgan's most accessible and entertaining work. Well-known for his wit, De Morgan takes aim at those people he calls "paradoxers," which in modern terms would most closely resemble crackpots. Paradoxers, however, are not crazy, necessarily-rather, they hold views wildly outside the accepted sphere. If you believed the world was round when everyone else knew that it was flat, you would be a paradoxer. In this book, De Morgan reviews a number of books from his own library written by such "crackpots" who claim to have solved a great many of the puzzles of mathematics and science, including squaring a circle, creating perpetual motion, and overcoming gravity. Each is thoroughly put in his place in ways both entertaining and informative to readers. Skeptics, students of science, and anyone who likes pondering a puzzle will find this book a delightful read. British mathematician AUGUSTUS DE MORGAN (1806-1871) invented the term mathematical induction. Among his many published works is Trigonometry and Double Algebra (1849).