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Goedel's Disjunction
The scope and limits of mathematical knowledge
Synopsis
The logician Kurt Goedel in 1951 established a disjunctive thesis about the scope and limits of mathematical knowledge: either the mathematical mind is not equivalent to a Turing machine (i.e., a computer), or there are absolutely undecidable mathematical problems. In the second half of the twentieth century, attempts have been made to arrive at a stronger conclusion. In particular, arguments have been produced by the philosopher J.R. Lucas and by the physicist
and mathematician Roger Penrose that intend to show that the mathematical mind is more powerful than any computer. These arguments, and counterarguments to them, have not convinced the logical and philosophical community. The reason for this is an insufficiency if rigour in the debate. The contributions in
this volume move the debate forward by formulating rigorous frameworks and formally spelling out and evaluating arguments that bear on Goedel's disjunction in these frameworks. The contributions in this volume have been written by world leading experts in the field.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
Recommended * CHOICE * An introduction by the editors offers an accessible entry point to readers with a basic background in mathematical logic. Many of the papers are clearly aimed at experts, but their introductory sections are generally written for a broader audience. ... The editors do a particularly good job of establishing context and background, as well as summarizing the contributions of the individual papers. * Bill Satzer, MAA Reviews *