|
 |
"Goedel and the Limits of Logic," by John W. Dawson, Jr. Scientific American, June 1999, pages 68-73.
This fascinating article describes the life and work of Kurt Goedel, one of the century's most important mathematicians. Goedel showed that the mathematical methods that had been used since the time of Euclid to solve mathematical problems were inadequate to solve all problems that could be posed. "His discovery undercut the foundations on which mathematics had been built up to the 20th century, stimulated thinkers to seek alternatives, and generated a lively philosophical debate about the nature of truth," Dawson writes. The article deftly interweaves biographical details with a highly readable account of Goedel's deepest mathematical work.
--- Allyn Jackson
 |
Comments: Email Webmaster |
