Paul Cohen

Paul Cohen was a mathematician known for his groundbreaking work in set theory and mathematical logic, particularly for developing the method of forcing. This technique allowed him to prove the independence of certain mathematical statements, such as the Continuum Hypothesis, meaning that these statements cannot be proven true or false using standard set theory. His work revolutionized our understanding of the foundations of mathematics, showing that there are limits to what can be proven within mathematical frameworks. Cohen's contributions also extended to computability theory, influencing how mathematicians approach problems related to algorithms and computability.