Explore Cantor’s Contributions to the Founding of the Theory of Transfinite Numbers and its key ideas about infinity.
This scholarly work surveys how transfinite numbers were defined and connected. It explains how cardinal numbers, Alephs, and operations like addition, multiplication, and exponentiation are formed, with emphasis on foundational questions and paradoxes. The text traces the development of ideas from Cantor and his contemporaries, including critical arguments and responses that shaped the theory.
- Definitions and operations for transfinite numbers, including how sums, products, and powers are defined and related.
- Discussion of paradoxes and foundational debates, such as Burali-Forti’s paradox and Russell’s contradiction.
- Historical notes on contributions by Jourdain, Hessenberg, Hausdorff, Konig, Zermelo, and others, and how these shaped the theory.
Ideal for readers of mathematical history, logic, and the origins of modern set theory, this edition helps you understand the buildup of Cantor’s groundbreaking ideas and their impact on how infinity is understood today.