Georg Cantor
modernPhilosophy of Mathematics1845 – 1918
Georg Cantor was a German mathematician who founded set theory and revolutionized the mathematical and philosophical understanding of infinity. His proof that real numbers are uncountable and his hierarchy of transfinite cardinals reshaped foundations of mathematics and influenced philosophy of mathematics, theology, and metaphysics.
Notable Achievements
1
Founded set theory as a mathematical discipline
2
Proved the uncountability of the real numbers via the diagonal argument
3
Developed the theory of transfinite numbers and cardinal/ordinal hierarchies
4
Formulated the Continuum Hypothesis
5
Introduced the concept of one-to-one correspondence as the criterion for cardinality