FOM: in re Barwise v Barwise: amicus curiae

John Baldwin jbaldwin at math.uic.edu
Tue Nov 11 11:49:56 EST 1997


"Arithmetic starts with the integers and proceeds by successively
enlarging 
the number system by rational and negative numbers, etc.  
But the next quite natural step after the reals, namely the introduction
of
 infinitesimals, has simply been omitted.  I think in coming centuries it 
will be considered a great oddity that the first exact theory of 
infinitesimals was developed 300 years after the invention of the 
differential calculus \cite{godel-remnon}."

This is from page 311 of Volume II of Godel's collected works.  I have
it on hand thanks to Matt Moore who indicates that Godel made such remarks
after a talk by Robinson at IAS in 1973




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