After Cantor first demonstrated that the real numbers
(continuum) were uncountable, the hypothesis arose that the set of the
real numbers was "the smallest" uncountable set.
In 1900 David Hilbert made settling the continuum hypothesis the first problem on his now famous list of problems for this century.
Professor Flashman will discuss some of the historical, philosophical, and mathematical developments connected to this problem proceeding from proofs of uncountability to issues of consistency and models and finally to a discussion of proofs of the independence of this hypothesis.