Some theorems are more equal than others: a slow introduction to Reverse Mathematics

Online Logic Seminar on Foundations of Mathematics Speaker: Dr. Sam Sanders (Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany) Date and Time: 17 November 2020, 7pm-9pm Beijing time (11am-1pm UTC) Commentator: Prof. Yue Yang (National University of Singapore, Singapore) Organizer: School of Philosophy, Wuhan University. Abstract: From high school mathematics to research level literature, we can easily find statements like“Theorem A is stronger than Theorem B” and “These two formulas are equivalent". The field Reverse Mathematics provides a framework for making such statements precise, based on mathematical logic. I will provide a gentle introduction to this field and discuss some new directions based on my own research.