In the mathematical field of set theory, Martin's axiom, introduced by Donald A. Martin and Robert M. Solovay (1970), is a statement which is independent of the usual axioms of ZFC set theory. It is implied by the continuum hypothesis, but it is consistent with ZFC and the negation of the continuum hypothesis. Informally, it says that all cardinals less than the cardinality of the continuum, c, behave roughly like . The intuition behind this can be understood by studying the proof of the Rasiowa–Sikorski lemma. It is a principle that is used to control certain forcing arguments.
Read more about Martin's Axiom: Statement of Martin's Axiom, Equivalent Forms of MA(k), Consequences
Famous quotes containing the words martin and/or axiom:
“When I walked in there and I saw you, I realized I fought this war for a reason.”
—Earl MacRauch, U.S. screenwriter, Mardik Martin, and Martin Scorsese. Francine Evans (Liza Minnelli)
“Its an old axiom of mine: marry your enemies and behead your friends.”
—Robert N. Lee. Rowland V. Lee. King Edward IV (Ian Hunter)