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39 votes
3 answers
3k views

Why do stacked quantifiers in PA correspond to ordinals up to $\epsilon_0$?

I am trying to understand why induction up to exactly $\epsilon_0$ is necessary to prove the cut-elimination theorem for first-order Peano Arithmetic; or, as I understand, equivalently, why the length ...
Eliezer Yudkowsky's user avatar
13 votes
3 answers
1k views

Which ordinals can be proof-theoretic ordinals of a reasonable theory?

When talking to a friend recently he asked a question - are there any reasonable first-order theories which have proof theoretic ordinal equal to small or large Veblen ordinal? I have then extended ...
Wojowu's user avatar
  • 28.2k
9 votes
1 answer
1k views

ERA, PRA, PA, transfinite induction and equivalences

I'm quite sure I don't understand very well the links between proof theoretical ordinals of theories, the axioms of transfinite induction and the objects a theory can prove to exist. For instance I'm ...
Primitive Recursive Fab's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
574 views

Iterated Gentzen: or, a Sith objection to the proof of consistency of PA

$\DeclareMathOperator\PRA{PRA}\DeclareMathOperator\WF{WF}\DeclareMathOperator\Con{Con}\DeclareMathOperator\PA{PA}$Preamble: In the year … in a galaxy far far away, a nasty Sith named Darth Dubious (...
Mirco A. Mannucci's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
560 views

Models of PRA/EFA with induction on $X$ but not $\omega^X$

As I currently understand it, induction on formulas containing $N+1$ first-order quantifiers is required to prove the well-ordering of the ordinal $(\omega \uparrow\uparrow N) < \epsilon_0$, that ...
Eliezer Yudkowsky's user avatar