Thu, 13 Mar 2014
17:15 -
18:15
L6
Peano Arithmetic, Fermat's Last Theorem, and something like Hilbert's notion of contentual mathematics
Colin McLarty
(Case Western Reserve)
Abstract
Several number theorists have stressed that the proofs of FLT focus on small concrete arithmetically defined groups rings and modules, so the steps can be checked by direct calculation in any given case. The talk looks at this in relation both to Hilbert's idea of contentual (inhaltlich) mathematics, and to formal provability in Peano arithmetic and other stronger and weaker axioms.