Independence from ZFC: Difference between revisions

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For any computable and arithmetically sound axiomatic theory T, there exists an integer <math>N_T</math> such that T cannot prove the values of BB(n) for any <math>n \ge N_T</math>. For ZF, this value is known to be in the range:
For any computable and arithmetically sound axiomatic theory T, there exists an integer <math>N_T</math> such that T cannot prove the values of BB(n) for any <math>n \ge N_T</math>. For ZF, this value is known to be in the range:


<math display="block">6 \le N_{ZF} \le 636</math>
<math display="block">6 \le N_{ZF} \le 549</math>


This lower bound comes from the fact that [[BB(5)]] has been proven in Rocq. The upper bound comes from an explicit TM which enumerates all possible proofs in ZF and halts if it finds a proof 0 = 1. Assuming ZF is consistent, then it cannot prove its own consistency, hence it cannot prove whether this specific TM halts and thus cannot prove the value of BB(636).
This lower bound comes from the fact that [[BB(5)]] has been proven in Rocq. The upper bound comes from an explicit TM which enumerates all possible proofs in ZF and halts if it finds a proof 0 = 1. Assuming ZF is consistent, then it cannot prove its own consistency, hence it cannot prove whether this specific TM halts.


Scott Aaronson conjectured in his [[Busy Beaver Frontier]] survey<ref name=":0">Scott Aaronson. 2020. [https://www.scottaaronson.com/papers/bb.pdf The Busy Beaver Frontier]. SIGACT News 51, 3 (August 2020), 32–54. https://doi.org/10.1145/3427361.3427369</ref> that <math>N_{ZF} \le 20</math>.
Scott Aaronson conjectured in his [[Busy Beaver Frontier]] survey<ref name=":0">Scott Aaronson. 2020. [https://www.scottaaronson.com/papers/bb.pdf The Busy Beaver Frontier]. SIGACT News 51, 3 (August 2020), 32–54. https://doi.org/10.1145/3427361.3427369</ref> that <math>N_{ZF} \le 20</math>.
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|[https://github.com/CatsAreFluffy/metamath-turing-machines Github NQL] ([https://github.com/CatsAreFluffy/metamath-turing-machines/commit/6fc33bef6ba8885d26aed94c83e88bdabbedb0f1 commit])
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|[https://github.com/andrew-j-wade/metamath-turing-machines Github NQL] ([https://github.com/andrew-j-wade/metamath-turing-machines/commit/30d2e3194866615f68dd2f5101cb300fb039adca commit])
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|[https://github.com/andrew-j-wade/metamath-turing-machines Github NQL] ([https://github.com/andrew-j-wade/metamath-turing-machines/commit/b371d266eb8988d5175ab09ee1466bf70b847551 commit])
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|[https://github.com/andrew-j-wade/metamath-turing-machines Github NQL] ([https://github.com/andrew-j-wade/metamath-turing-machines/commit/ef54215d391c9c6d28dfe75acf02889ab479b114 commit])
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|[https://github.com/andrew-j-wade/metamath-turing-machines Github NQL] ([https://github.com/andrew-j-wade/metamath-turing-machines/commit/5d676aec074a94f598959cb3b7733a8f7781762f commit])
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== References ==
== References ==
<references />
<references />

Revision as of 15:55, 21 July 2025

For any computable and arithmetically sound axiomatic theory T, there exists an integer such that T cannot prove the values of BB(n) for any . For ZF, this value is known to be in the range:

This lower bound comes from the fact that BB(5) has been proven in Rocq. The upper bound comes from an explicit TM which enumerates all possible proofs in ZF and halts if it finds a proof 0 = 1. Assuming ZF is consistent, then it cannot prove its own consistency, hence it cannot prove whether this specific TM halts.

Scott Aaronson conjectured in his Busy Beaver Frontier survey[1] that .

History

There is no one authoritative source on the history of TMs independent of ZF, this is our best understanding of the history of TMs found. Mostly these are taken from Scott Aaronson's blog announcements and Busy Beaver Frontier.

History of ZF independent TMs
States Date Discoverer Source Verification
7910 May 2016 Adam Yedidia and Scott Aaronson Yedida and Aaronson 2016[2]
748 May 2016 Stefan O’Rear Github NQL file, Busy Beaver Frontier[1]
745 July 2023 Johannes Riebel Riebel 2023 Bachelor Thesis[3]
643 July 2024 Rohan Ridenour Github NQL, Aaronson Announcement
636 31 August 2024 Rohan Ridenour Github NQL (commit)
588 12 July 2025 andrew-j-wade Github NQL (commit)
564 13 July 2025 andrew-j-wade Github NQL (commit)
559 15 July 2025 andrew-j-wade Github NQL (commit)
549 16 July 2025 andrew-j-wade Github NQL (commit)

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Scott Aaronson. 2020. The Busy Beaver Frontier. SIGACT News 51, 3 (August 2020), 32–54. https://doi.org/10.1145/3427361.3427369
  2. A. Yedidia and S. Aaronson. A relatively small Turing machine whose behavior is independent of set theory. Complex Systems, (25):4, 2016. https://arxiv.org/abs/1605.04343
  3. Riebel, Johannes (March 2023). The Undecidability of BB(748): Understanding Gödel's Incompleteness Theorems (PDF) (Bachelor's thesis). University of Augsburg.