Since my last post, I’ve had second thoughts. Given the number of books on set theory out there which are worth a mention at some point or other even in a very selective reading list, I’ve decided it would plainly be much better to divide the appropriate chunk of the Teach Yourself Logic Guide into two sections, one on the elements of set theory, another carrying the story forward.
What do I mean by ‘elements’ here? The contents of e.g. Enderton’s The Elements of Set Theory. That is to say, the construction of the natural number and real number systems in set theoretic terms, the development of cardinal and ordinal arithmetic, and stuff about the use of axiom(s) of choice and its importance. So understood, the elementary stuff stops before we start discussing the likes of large-cardinal axioms, or get into proving that the Axiom of Choice is consistent with ZF, or the continuum hypothesis is independent of ZFC.
Ok, so with this more restricted brief of giving a reading guide to books covering the elements of set theory at a suitable pace for beginners, what might a sensible list look like? Well, you can see my draft list now as the final section of the updated Guide, which you can download here.
Do have a look: suggestions and comments are extremely welcome!