Mendelson's $\mathit{Mathematical\ Logic}$ and the missing Appendix on the consistency of PA

logic math-history reference-request

Answering my own question (but some might be interested!) ...

Before posting this question I did search around a bit (probably inefficiently and certainly quite ineffectively) to see if I could find an email for Elliott Mendelson to ask him directly! But anyway, he picked up my similar query on FOM and very kindly wrote to me:

I was intrigued by your comments about the consistency proof of PA that appeared in the First Edition of my logic book. I omitted it in later editions because I felt that the topic needed a much more thorough treatment than what I had given, a treatment that would require more space than would be appropriate in an introduction to mathematical logic.

I can understand that. Though I think the pointers he gave in that Appendix did spur on quite a few readers to find out more, so I still think it was a Very Good Thing, and it was perhaps a pity to drop it.

[Prof. Mendelson has kindly allowed me to quote him.]

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