Set Theory A First Course

Set theory is a rich and beautiful subject whose fundamental concepts permeate virtually every branch of mathematics. One could say that set theory is a unifying theory for mathematics, since nearly all mathematical concepts and results can be formalized within set theory. This textbook is meant for an upper undergraduate course in set theory. In this text, the fundamentals of abstract sets, including relations, functions, the natural numbers, order, cardinality, transfinite recursion, the axiom of choice, ordinal numbers, and cardinal numbers, are developed within the framework of axiomatic set theory. The reader will need to be comfortable reading and writing mathematical proofs. The proofs in this textbook are rigorous, clear, and complete, while remaining accessible to undergraduates who are new to upper-level mathematics. Exercises are included at the end of each section in a chapter, with useful suggestions for the more challenging exercises.

1. Introduction; 2. Basic set building axioms and operations; 3. Relations and functions; 4. The natural numbers; 5. On the size of sets; 6. Transfinite recursion; 7. The axiom of choice (revisited); 8. Ordinals; 9. Cardinals.

Daniel W. Cunningham is a Professor of Mathematics at State University of New York, Buffalo, specializing in set theory and mathematical logic. He is a member of the Association for Symbolic Logic, the American Mathematical Society, and the Mathematical Association of America. Cunningham's previous work includes A Logical Introduction to Proof, which was published in 2013.