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Proof of Gödel's first incompleteness theorem

Edited by Jaime Sevilla Molina last updated 12th Oct 2016

Weak form

The weak Gödel's first incompleteness theorem states that every ω-consistent axiomatizable extension of minimal arithmetic is incomplete.

Let T extend minimal_arithmetic, and let PrvT be the standard provability predicate of T.

Then we apply the diagonal lemma to get G such that T⊢G⟺¬PrvT(G).

We assert that the sentence G is undecidable in T. We prove it by contradiction:

Suppose that T⊢G. Then PrvT(G) is correct, and as it is a ∃-rudimentary sentence then it is provable in minimal arithmetic, and thus in T. So we have that T⊢PrvT(G) and also by the construction of G that T⊢¬PrvT(G), contradicting that T is consistent.

Now, suppose that T⊢¬G. Then T⊢PrvT(G). But then as T is consistent there cannot be a standard proof of G, so if PrvT(x) is of the form ∃yProofT(x,y) then for no natural number n it can be that T⊢ProofT(┌G┐,n), so T is ω-inconsistent, in contradiction with the hypothesis.

Strong form

Every consistent and axiomatizable extension of minimal_arithmetic is incomplete.

This theorem follows as a consequence of the undecidability of arithmetic combined with the lemma stating that any complete axiomatizable theory is undecidable

Parents:
Gödel's first incompleteness theorem
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