Gentzen’s consistency proof for arithmetic

E761263

Gentzen’s consistency proof for arithmetic is a landmark 1930s result in proof theory that established the consistency of Peano arithmetic using transfinite induction up to the ordinal ε₀.

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Predicate Object
instanceOf consistency proof
mathematical proof
result in proof theory
analyzes structure of arithmetic proofs
appliesTo Peano arithmetic NERFINISHED
assumes primitive recursive arithmetic is sound
author Gerhard Gentzen NERFINISHED
basedOn sequent calculus
concerns first-order Peano arithmetic (PA)
demonstrates consistency of PA cannot be proved by purely finitist means alone (given Gentzen’s methods)
establishes termination of reduction process for proofs in arithmetic
field foundations of mathematics
mathematical logic
proof theory
goal to prove the consistency of Peano arithmetic
goesBeyond Hilbert’s finitist program NERFINISHED
historicalPeriod 1930s
impact established proof theory as a central area of logic
influenced ordinal analysis
proof-theoretic ordinal research
subsequent consistency proofs for stronger theories
introduces cut-elimination method
isNonFinitist true
keyIdea assign ordinals < ε₀ to proofs and show reduction decreases them
languageOfOriginalPublication German
methodType proof-theoretic consistency proof
predecessorOf later ordinal analyses of stronger systems
preSupposes consistency of transfinite induction up to ε₀
publishedIn Mathematische Annalen NERFINISHED
relatedTo Gödel’s incompleteness theorems NERFINISHED
Hilbert’s program NERFINISHED
relativeTo transfinite induction up to ε₀
reliesOn cut-elimination theorem NERFINISHED
requires well-foundedness of ordinals below ε₀
shows no derivation of contradiction in Peano arithmetic
status classical result in proof theory
subjectOf consistency of Peano arithmetic
titleOfPublication Die Widerspruchsfreiheit der reinen Zahlentheorie NERFINISHED
usesConcept induction along well-orders
measure of proof complexity by ordinals
ordinal notation system up to ε₀
primitive recursive ordinal notation
proof-theoretic reduction
usesFormalism first-order arithmetic
sequent calculus LK
usesMethod transfinite induction
usesOrdinal epsilon_0 (ε₀)
yearProposed 1936

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Hilbert’s second problem connectedToResult Gentzen’s consistency proof for arithmetic
Gerhard Gentzen notableWork Gentzen’s consistency proof for arithmetic
this entity surface form: Die Widerspruchsfreiheit der reinen Zahlentheorie