set theory

2 definitions found

set theory - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  set theory
      n 1: the branch of pure mathematics that deals with the nature
           and relations of sets

set theory - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  set theory
  
     <mathematics> A mathematical formalisation of the theory of
     "sets" (aggregates or collections) of objects ("elements" or
     "members").  Many mathematicians use set theory as the basis
     for all other mathematics.
  
     Mathematicians began to realise toward the end of the 19th
     century that just doing "the obvious thing" with sets led to
     embarrassing paradoxes, the most famous being Russell's Paradox
     .  As a result, they acknowledged the need for a
     suitable axiomatisation for talking about sets.  Numerous
     such axiomatisations exist; the most popular among ordinary
     mathematicians is Zermelo Frankel set theory.
  
     The beginnings of set theory (http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/HistoryTopics.html)
     .
  
     (1995-05-10)