An introduction to the work of the mathematical logician Kurt Godel, which guides the reader through his Theorem of Undecidability and his theories on the completeness of logic, the incompleteness of numbers and the consistency of the axiom of choice.

Kurt Godel, the greatest logician of our time, startled the world of mathematics in 1931 with his Theorem of Undecidability, which showed that some statements in mathematics are inherently "undecidable." His work on the completeness of logic, the incompleteness of number theory, and the consistency of the axiom of choice and the continuum theory brought him further worldwide fame. In this introductory volume, Raymond Smullyan, himself a well-known logician, guides the reader through the fascinating world of Godel's incompleteness theorems. The level of presentation is suitable for anyone with a basic acquaintance with mathematical logic. As a clear, concise introduction to a difficult but essential subject, the book will appeal to mathematicians, philosophers, and computer scientists.

This is a clearly written, brisk book. Advanced students will find it both a useful text and a valuable reference. It is a very complete account of the various proofs of the Gödel theorems and as such is a valuable contribution to the literature.