Kurt Gödel: Collected Works: Volume IV

Kurt Gödel (1906 - 1978) was the most outstanding logician of the twentieth century, famous for his hallmark works on the completeness of logic, the incompleteness of number theory, and the consistency of the axiom of choice and the continuum hypothesis. He is also noted for his work on constructivity, the decision problem, and the foundations of computability theory, as well as for the strong individuality of his writings on the philosophy of mathematics. He is less well known for his discovery of unusual cosmological models for Einstein's equations, in theory permitting time travel into the past. The Collected Works is a landmark resource that draws together a lifetime of creative thought and accomplishment. The first two volumes were devoted to Gödel's publications in full (both in original and translation), and the third volume featured a wide selection of unpublished articles and lecture texts found in Gödel's Nachlass. The final two volumes contain Gödel's correspondence of logical, philosophical, and scientific interest. Volume IV, published for the first time in paperback, covers A to G, with H to Z in volume V; in addition, Volume V contains a full inventory of Gödel's Nachlass. All volumes include introductory notes that provide extensive explanatory and historical commentary on each body of work, English translations of material originally written in German (some transcribed from the Gabelsberger shorthand), and a complete bibliography of all works cited. Kurt Gödel: Collected Works is designed to be useful and accessible to as wide an audience as possible without sacrificing scientific or historical accuracy. The only comprehensive edition of Gödel's work available, it will be an essential part of the working library of professionals and students in logic, mathematics, philosophy, history of science, and computer science and all others who wish to be acquainted with one of the great minds of the twentieth century.

Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations Allan Angoff: introductory note and corresondence John W. Dawson Jr: Yossef Balas: introductory note and corresondence Charles Parsons: Heinrich Behmann: introductory note and corresondence Solomon Feferman: Paul Bernays: introductory note and corresondence Warren Goldfarb: Kenneth Blackwell: introductory note and corresondence Warren Goldfarb: Herbert G. Bohnert: introductory note and corresondence Warren Goldfarb: William Boone: introductory note and corresondence John W. Dawson Jr: Georg Brutian: introductory note and corresondence Wilfried Sieg: J. Richard Büchi: introductory note and corresondence Warren Goldfarb: Rudolph Carnap: introductory note and corresondence Charles Parsons: Alonzo Church: introductory note and corresondence Solomon Feferman: Paul J. Cohen: introductory note and corresondence Warren Goldfarb: Burton Dreben: introductory note and corresondence David B. Malament: Herbert Feigl: introductory note and corresondence John W. Dawson: Paul Finsler: introductory note and corresondence Wilson Follett: introductory note and corresondence Warren Goldfarb: Leonard Goddard: introductory note and corresondence John W. Dawson: Marianne Gödel: introductory note and corresondence John W. Dawson: Burke D. Grandjean: introductory note and corresondence Michael Beeson: Marvin Jay Greenberg: introductory note and corresondence Charles Parsons: Gotthard Günther: introductory note and corresondence Calendars of Correspondence Textual notes References Addenda and corrigenda to volumes I-III

About the Author :
Solomon Feferman is Professor of Mathematics and Philosophy at Stanford University John W. Dawson is Professor of Mathematics at Penn State York University Warren Goldfarb is Walter Beverly Pearson Professor of Modern Mathematics and Mathematical Logic at Harvard University Charles Parsons is Edgar Pierce Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Harvard University Wilfried Sieg is Patrick Suppes Professor of Philosophy at Carnegie Mellon Unviersity

Review :
`Review from other book by this author Gödel would probably have been pleased ... The set should be of interest to professionals and students in the area of logic, mathematics, philosophy, history of science, computer science and to some non-specialists with a background in science and/or logic. For all university level libraries and for large public and college library collections.' New Technical Books, New York Public Library (January 1987) `This book (Volume I) is unique, and every philosopher or historian of logic will be determined to possess it.' Nature `This is the second volume of this impressive series of Gödel's works ... this second volume of his published works is really fundamental, as it was only in this period that Godel decided to make public some traits of his philosophical position ... The introductory note to these writings, by R. Solovay, seems to me historically and technically superb. I congratulate the editorial team for including in this volume the improved 1972 version of the Dialectica paper of 1958 on finitary mathematics ... As a whole, the book is absolutely indispensable for anyone interested in Gödel's ideas, or generally on the history and philosophy of logic and mathematics.' Modern Logic, Volume 4, no. 3 (July 1994) `These volumes contain, as well as the doctoral dissertation and a hitherto unpublished revision of a translation of the Dialectica paper, all of Gödel's work printed in his lifetime. The volumes are meticulously edited and are a pleasure to consult. Original page numbers are clearly shown; papers written in German are printed with facing translations.' Bulletin of the London Mathematical Society, 24 (1992) `Anyone interested in the life and work of Kurt Gödel, or in the history of mathematical logic in this century, is indebted to all of the contributors to this volume (volume I)for the care with which they have presented Gödel's work. They have succeeded in using their own expertise to elucidate both the nature and the significance of what Gödel and, in turn, mathematical logic have accomplished. From the example of this first volume, the edition promises to be a model of its kind; virtually nothing could be bettered. Feferman and his team are to be congratulated on the care, sureness of touch, and scholarly accuracy with which they have carried out their task' Mind `It is a fascinating and enduringly important collection, superbly well-edited, each paper being prefaced with an excellent intoduction providing background information, summaries of the arguments and, where necessary, criticisms of the views expressed. The editors are to be wholeheartedly congratulated on bringing to the public work which deserves careful study and which ought to do something to revitalise the philosophy of mathematics by presenting a point of view that, unusually, combines intellectual rigour with a willingness to make bold and metaphysical claims.' Times Higher Education Supplement, 15 March 1996 `This is the third volume of a comprehensive and critical edition of the works of Kurt Gödel. . .All these essays and lectures are most carefully written and remarkably rich. They give considerable insight into Gödel's own achievements in logic, set theory and physics and also into his philosophical views. . . .This volume was a desideratum for a long time. We also hope very strongly that volume 3 is not the last volume." --' Vienna Circle Institute Yearbook 1997 `The book (Volume III) ... will certainly enlarge our appreciation of Gödel's scientific and philosophical thought as well as our understanding of his motivations.' Mathematical Reviews, Issue 96f `Each item in the volume (Volume III) carries an introduction written by a leading expert, and there are detailed textual notes at the end of the book. The editorial standards are extremely high throughout' London Mathematical Society 1997