J. Barkley Rosser

For the Australian cricketer, see John Rosser (cricketer).
John Barkley Rosser
Born (1907-12-06)December 6, 1907
Jacksonville, Florida
Died September 5, 1989(1989-09-05) (aged 81)
Madison, Wisconsin
Nationality United States
Fields Mathematical logic
Number theory
Alma mater Princeton University
Doctoral advisor Alonzo Church
Doctoral students Charlotte (Stark) Chell
George Collins
Theodore Hailperin
Walter Joel Harrington
Elliott Mendelson
Stephen Orey
George William Petznick, Jr.
Gerald Sacks
David Edward Schroer
Known for Church–Rosser theorem Kleene–Rosser paradox Rosser's sieve

John Barkley Rosser Sr. (December 6, 1907 – September 5, 1989) was an American logician, a student of Alonzo Church, and known for his part in the Church–Rosser theorem, in lambda calculus. He also developed what is now called the Rosser sieve, in number theory. He was later director of the Army Mathematics Research Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Rosser wrote mathematical textbooks as well.

In 1936, he proved Rosser's trick, a stronger version of Gödel's first incompleteness theorem which shows that the requirement for ω-consistency may be weakened to consistency. Rather than using the liar paradox sentence equivalent to "I am not provable," he used a sentence that stated "For every proof of me, there is a shorter proof of my negation".

In prime number theory, he proved Rosser's theorem.

The Kleene–Rosser paradox showed that the original lambda calculus was inconsistent.

Rosser died of an aneurysm September 5, 1989, at his home in Madison, Wisconsin.[1][2]

Rosser's son, John Barkley Rosser, Jr., is a mathematical economist and professor at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Selected publications

References

  1. "Deaths", Washington Post, September 19, 1989
  2. "Memorial Resolution on the Death of Emeritus Professor J. Barkley Rosser" (PDF), University of Wisconsin, Madison, March 5, 1990, archived from the original (PDF) on June 8, 2011
  3. Curry, H. B. (1954). "Review: Logic for mathematicians by J. B. Rosser" (PDF). Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. 60 (3): 266–272. doi:10.1090/s0002-9904-1954-09798-7.

External links

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