FOM: an automated e-mail list for Foundations of Mathematics

[Stephen G Simpson]

OK everybody, I have set up this automated e-mail list called FOM, to
ease the mechanics of our ongoing discussion.  Harvey assured me that
all of you want to follow the discussion, so I have taken the liberty
of subscribing all of you to FOM.  Welcome!  You can post messages to
the group by sending e-mail to

     fom at math.psu.edu

I am hoping for an exciting and serious discussion of foundations of
mathematics.  Some possible broad topics:

  1. Why are you personally intersted (or uninterested!) in
     foundations of mathematics?

  2. What is foundations of mathematics?  What is its role within the
     broad structure of science, philosophy, and culture?

  3. How does foundations of mathematics contribute to pure mathematics?

  4. How does pure mathematics contribute to foundations of mathematics?

  5. What is the relationship between foundations of mathematics
     and applied mathematics?

  6. What is the relationship between foundations of mathematics
     and philosophy of mathematics?

  7. What is the relationship between foundations of mathematics and 
     technical work in mathematical logic (model theory, proof theory,
     set theory, recursion theory)?

Please feel free to add to this list of topics.  I'll try to keep the
ball rolling by posting a few provocative remarks.

Administrative matters: If any of you would like me to cancel your
subscription to FOM, please let me know and I will cheerfully do so.
Alternatively, you may cancel your subscription yourself by following
the instructions that you have already received.  Those instructions
also explain how to get the list of current FOM subscribers, and how
to retrieve an archive of our earlier discussion.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Best regards to all of you,

     -- Steve Simpson

     simpson at math.psu.edu