Natural Number Arithmetic in the Theory of Finite Sets

Abstract

We describe a theory of finite sets, and investigate the analogue of Dedekind's theory of natural number systems (simply infinite systems) in this theory. Unlike the infinitary case, in our theory, natural number systems come in differing lengths and with different closure properties. We give examples of natural number systems incomparable in length; we define hierarchies of natural number systems closed under increasingly powerful functions; and we describe a method by which to construct natural number systems with given closure properties. These natural number systems form natural models for various systems of weak arithmetic.