Math 574: Topics in Logic and Foundations

Spring 2005, MWF 9:05-9:55 AM, 101 Pond, Schedule 434329

Stephen G. Simpson, 321C Whitmore, 863-0775, t20@psu.edu

The web page for this course is
http://www.personal.psu.edu/t20/courses/math574/.

This course is intended for graduate students in mathematical logic.
I will carefully introduce a variety of topics which are important in
contemporary mathematical logic, but not normally covered in our basic
logic sequence, MATH 557-558.  Among the topics are:

 -  unsolvable problems in number theory (Hilbert's 10th Problem)

 -  unsolvable problems in group theory (the Word Problem for groups, etc.)

 -  unsolvable problems in geometry/topology

 -  recursively enumerable sets and degrees

 -  priority arguments

 -  randomness and Kolmogorov complexity

 -  models of arithmetic

 -  independence results via nonstandard models