Abstract

We compare two well-known set-theoretical statements, namely the axiom of choice and the continuum hypothesis, with regard to their historical development and formulation, as well as their consequences in mathematics. It is known that both statements are independent from the other axioms of set theory (if they are consistent). The axiom of choice – despite initial controversies – is today almost universally accepted as an axiom. However, the status of the continuum hypothesis is more complex and no agreement has been found so far: both the continuum hypothesis and its negation (often as consequences of stronger statements) decide several mathematical problems differently, but in contrast with the axiom of choice it is not clear which of the two solutions should be the “correct” one (in the sense of an agreement within the community).