Re: Cantor Confusion



In article <45746B98.5040606@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Eckard Blumschein <blumschein@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On 12/1/2006 8:20 PM, Virgil wrote:
In article <1164967792.130794.251330@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
mueckenh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

May be if you apply your personal definition of potentially infinity,
but not if you apply the generally accepted definition.

What "generally accepted" meaning is that? Most mathematicians do not
accept that a set can be "potentially" infinite without being actually
so.

I see it quite differently: Potentially and actually infinite points of
view mutually exclude each other as do countable and uncountable,
rational and irrational.

Except that countable and uncountable coexist within the same set theory
and rational and irrational coexist within the same real umber field.

But potentially infinite does not exist within ZF or NBG or NF or any
other standard set theory.
.



Relevant Pages

  • Re: Cantorian pseudomathematics
    ... The property that I defined as "random" is a property of some infinite ... While we can't say for sure that "obeys a probability distribution" is ... > set theory to think about all that; and mathematicians didn't wait for ... > Hence it seems reasonnable to wonder whether set theory his intuitive ...
    (sci.math)
  • Re: Calculus XOR Probability
    ... true of set theory. ... what are its definitions of 'infinite', 'largest', ... infinite successor." ... I am constantly amazed that mathematicians are unable to parse my ...
    (sci.math)
  • Re: Cantor Confusion
    ... axiom which requires the existence of the non existing and seems to ... "Foundations of Set Theory", 2nd edn., North Holland, Amsterdam ... infinite') are supposed to be about formal set theory, ... ask Fraenkel et al. or Hilbert or other mathematicians who know about ...
    (sci.math)
  • Re: Cantor Confusion
    ... philosophy of the infinite. ... far from stupid mathematicians who couldn't get a handle on it. ... A quote from Herb Enderton's Elements of Set Theory: ... So no surprise that the reals are "uncountable". ...
    (sci.math)
  • Re: Cantor Confusion
    ... but not if you apply the generally accepted definition. ... What "generally accepted" meaning is that? ... Most mathematicians do not ... accept that a set can be "potentially" infinite without being actually ...
    (sci.math)