Difficulties with Dedekind cuts | Real numbers and limits Math Foundations 116 | N J Wildberger

Richard Dedekind around 1870 introduced a new way of thinking about what a real number `was'. By analyzing the case of sqrt(2), he concluded that we could associated to a real number a partition of the rational numbers into two subsets A and B, where all the elements of A were less than all the elements of B, and where A had no greatest element. Such partitions are now called Dedekind cuts, and purport to give a logical and substantial foundation for the theory of real numbers. Does this actually work? Can we really create an arithmetic of real numbers this way? No and no. It does not really work. In this video we raise the difficult issues that believers like to avoid. Video Content: 00:00 Intro to Dedekind's approach to "real numbers" 5:08 "Cuts" of the rationals 7:13 Principles of Mathematical Analysis 12:38 Subsets of Q 24:02 Prior theory of 'infinite sets' 32:09 Arithmetic with 'Dedekind cuts' 35:05 Unwieldy, infinite sets ************ Research Gate page: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/... Blog: http://njwildberger.com/ Online courses at openlearning.com (currently Algebraic Calculus One): https://www.openlearning.com/courses/... Please join us for an exciting new approach to one of mathematics' most important subjects! Patreon:   / njwildberger   Your support would be much appreciated. Wild Egg Maths YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCriF... Insights into Mathematics Playlists:    • The Algebra of Boole, Logic and Circuit An...   (31 videos)    • Box Arithmetic: a new framework for Mathem...   (18 videos)    • Hypergroups and Diffusion Symmetry: an int...   (6 videos)    • Rational Trigonometry for maths, physics a...   (4 videos)    • Sociology and Pure Maths   (44 videos)    • Old Babylonian mathematics and Plimpton 322   (8 videos)    • Math Foundations   (226 videos)    • Math Seminars N J Wildberger   (26 videos)    • Math History (ancient to modern)   (45 videos)    • Geometric Linear Algebra   (43 videos)    • Algebraic Topology   (40 videos)    • Universal Hyperbolic Geometry   (55 videos)    • Differential Geometry   (34 videos)    • Elementary Probability and Statistics   (8 videos)    • Math Terminology for Incoming Uni Students   (9 videos)    • Famous Math Problems   ( 46 videos)    • Elementary Mathematics Explained (K-6)   (40 videos)    • Ancient Mathematics and insights of Howard...   (7 videos)    • Wild West Banking: A mathematician goes We...   (7 videos)    • Playing Go: the ancient oriental board game   (19 videos)    • Maths and Music   (21 videos)    • Year 9 Mathematics (review fractions, deci...   (10 videos)    • Wild Trig: An introduction to Rational Tri...   (94 videos) Wild Egg Maths Playlists:    • Intro to Algebraic Calculus with Box Arith...   (4 videos)    • Classical to Quantum (for Members)   (64 videos)    • Solving Polynomial Equations and the Geode...   (45 videos)    • De Casteljau Bezier curves and associated ...   (20 videos)    • Exploring q-series (for Members)   (8 videos)    • Six: A mathematical exploration   (9 videos)    • Algebraic Calculus One: a new foundation f...   (52 videos)    • Advice to prospective research mathematici...   (9 videos)    • The Hexagrammum Mysticum: a Geometric Gem ...   (14 videos)    • Algebraic Calculus Two   (8 videos)    • Special (Polynomial) Functions and Maxel N...   (25 videos)    • Dynamics on Graphs: The ADE Phenomenon & B...   (30 videos)