Elementary arithmetic (also known as “elementary function arithmetic”) is a fragment of first-order arithmetic so weak that it cannot prove the totality of an iterated exponential function. Surprisingly, however, the theory turns out to be remarkably robust. I will discuss formal results that show that many theorems of number theory and combinatorics are derivable in elementary arithmetic, and ...

We try to pave a smooth road to a proper understanding of control problems in terms of mathematical disciplines, and partially show how to number-theorize some practical problems. Our primary concern is linear systems from the point of view of our principle of visualization of the state, an interface between the past and the present. We view all the systems as embedded in the state equation, th...