Combining Philosophers

Ideas for Timon, Anaxagoras and Michal Walicki

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6 ideas

6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 3. Nature of Numbers / e. Ordinal numbers
Ordinals are transitive sets of transitive sets; or transitive sets totally ordered by inclusion [Walicki]
     Full Idea: An ordinal can be defined as a transitive set of transitive sets, or else, as a transitive set totally ordered by set inclusion.
     From: Michal Walicki (Introduction to Mathematical Logic [2012], 2.3)
Ordinals are the empty set, union with the singleton, and any arbitrary union of ordinals [Walicki]
     Full Idea: The collection of ordinals is defined inductively: Basis: the empty set is an ordinal; Ind: for an ordinal x, the union with its singleton is also an ordinal; and any arbitrary (possibly infinite) union of ordinals is an ordinal.
     From: Michal Walicki (Introduction to Mathematical Logic [2012], 2.3)
     A reaction: [symbolism translated into English] Walicki says they are called 'ordinal numbers', but are in fact a set.
The union of finite ordinals is the first 'limit ordinal'; 2ω is the second... [Walicki]
     Full Idea: We can form infinite ordinals by taking unions of ordinals. We can thus form 'limit ordinals', which have no immediate predecessor. ω is the first (the union of all finite ordinals), ω + ω = sω is second, 3ω the third....
     From: Michal Walicki (Introduction to Mathematical Logic [2012], 2.3)
Two infinite ordinals can represent a single infinite cardinal [Walicki]
     Full Idea: There may be several ordinals for the same cardinality. ...Two ordinals can represent different ways of well-ordering the same number (aleph-0) of elements.
     From: Michal Walicki (Introduction to Mathematical Logic [2012], 2.3)
     A reaction: This only applies to infinite ordinals and cardinals. For the finite, the two coincide. In infinite arithmetic the rules are different.
Members of ordinals are ordinals, and also subsets of ordinals [Walicki]
     Full Idea: Every member of an ordinal is itself an ordinal, and every ordinal is a transitive set (its members are also its subsets; a member of a member of an ordinal is also a member of the ordinal).
     From: Michal Walicki (Introduction to Mathematical Logic [2012], 2.3)
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 5. The Infinite / k. Infinitesimals
Things get smaller without end [Anaxagoras]
     Full Idea: Of the small there is no smallest, but always a smaller.
     From: Anaxagoras (fragments/reports [c.460 BCE], B03), quoted by Gregory Vlastos - The Physical Theory of Anaxagoras II
     A reaction: Anaxagoras seems to be speaking of the physical world (and probably writing prior to the emergence of atomism, which could have been a rebellion against he current idea).