[Math] How an axiomatic system is made

axiomslogicphilosophysoft-question

An axiom is a sentence that is taken to be true without a proof. A set of (well organised) axioms is called an axiomatic system. As consequence of these axioms we get a lot of results that we call theorem, proposition, lemma, corollary, ect.

My question is how can an axiom be made? How an axiomatic system is arranged so that a whole theory can be build from that?! Does it have to be an 'inspiration' to formulate axioms, or you get them by working on problems which need true assumptions without proving them?

Best Answer

Axioms are the formalizations of notions and ideas into mathematics. They don't come from nowhere, they come from taking a concrete object, in a certain context and trying to make it abstract.

You start by working with a concrete object. After some investigation, you distill the axioms from that concrete objects, often you make mistakes and you need to add, or you can remove, some of the axioms.

For example, you work with the real numbers. But then you realize that most of what you need is in fact just a field which satisfies certain properties. These become axioms, for example, real-closed fields.

Or another example, you work with "collections" and you name them sets, at first they are just sets of numbers or sets of functions, but then you realize that you can talk about sets of these sets and sets of sets of these sets, and so on. You work and work with them, and you get some general idea about what properties these "sets" should have. For example, if you have a set, then collection of all its subsets should also be a set. So you write this formally and you have the power set axiom. And slowly you shape axioms for set theory.