Originally Posted by oranges

Mahratta, do you think 3E03 would suffice as a "prerequisite" for 4LT3? Because 4L03 isn't offered this year I won't have the opportunity to take it before or at the same time as 4LT3, which I'm interested in taking. 3E03 is the only prerequisite for 4L03 so I assume it would be sufficient for 4LT3 as well.

4L03 isn't really a prerequisite for 4LT3 anyway, if the topic is set theory.

4L03, again, teaches the bread-and-butter of math logic, which is not the same thing as set theory, although there is significant interaction "higher up" in set theory, where it kind of becomes a special sort of model theory (if any set theorists are reading this, they will probably be very upset about that last comment).

4LT3 will teach basic axiomatic set theory; of course, 4L03 would help, but it's far from necessary.

I think set theory is a good standalone topic; just general mathematical (and dare I say philosophical) maturity is necessary -- and I think that's the only prerequisite. Additional mathematics can only help.

EDIT: I haven't taken 4LT, but I'm going off of a previous knowledge of basic axiomatic set theory as well as what I've heard from the prof teaching the course. I'll be taking it this year, though, so if you do take it then I'll see you there.

Originally Posted by Mahratta

4L03 isn't really a prerequisite for 4LT3 anyway, if the topic is set theory.

4L03, again, teaches the bread-and-butter of math logic, which is not the same thing as set theory, although there is significant interaction "higher up" in set theory, where it kind of becomes a special sort of model theory (if any set theorists are reading this, they will probably be very upset about that last comment).

4LT3 will teach basic axiomatic set theory; of course, 4L03 would help, but it's far from necessary.

I think set theory is a good standalone topic; just general mathematical (and dare I say philosophical) maturity is necessary -- and I think that's the only prerequisite. Additional mathematics can only help.

EDIT: I haven't taken 4LT, but I'm going off of a previous knowledge of basic axiomatic set theory as well as what I've heard from the prof teaching the course. I'll be taking it this year, though, so if you do take it then I'll see you there.

Sounds good. As you can probably tell, I haven't yet developed much taste for mathematical logic and other "foundational" fields of mathematics but I've always found it to be somewhat alluring. The idea of mathematical and philosophical maturity being the only prerequisites for 4LT3 makes it sound even more interesting. Thanks again for your advice.

Here is the Math 4LT3 take home exam that I wrote back in the day (covered axiomatic set theory):

http://www.math.mcmaster.ca/~bradd/4LT3/final.pdf

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EDIT: Also when I was in the course, here are the notes for my first (weekly) presentation. I had told the class how to construct the natural numbers from the ZF Axioms:

http://www.math.mcmaster.ca/~bradd/4LT3/Project7.doc

This is a good level of the mathematical maturity you need to take this course. (I should emphasize that I took this in my third year, as a Kinesiology major, so it is definitely possible to enter this course without any pre-reqs. However, I can poke holes in the way I've written this, but hopefully you'll cut me some slack (Mahratta :p))