An axiomatic system is said to be consistent if it lacks contradiction, i.e. the ability to derive both a statement and it's negative from the system's axioms.
In an axiomatic system, an axiom is called independent if it is not a theorem that can be derived from other axioms in the system. A system will
be called independent if each of its underlying axioms is independent.
Independence is not a necessary requirement for a system, yet consistency is necessary. An axiomatic system will be called complete if no additional axiom can be added to the system without making the new system either dependent or inconsistent.
A mathematical model for an axiomatic system is a well-defined set, which assigns meaning for the undefined terms presented in the system, in a manner that is correct with the relations defined in the system. The existence of a concrete model* proves the consistency of a system.
Models can also be used to show the independence of an axiom in the system. By constructing a valid model for a subsystem without a specific axiom, we show that the omitted axiom is independent if its correctness does not necessarily follow from the subsystem.
Two models are said to be isomorphic if one-to-one correspondence can be found between their elements, in a manner that preserves their relationship. An axiomatic system for which every model is isomorphic to another is called categorial, and the property of categoriallity ensures the completeness of a system.
* A model is called concrete if the meanings assigned are objects and relations from the real world, as opposed to an abstract model which is based on other axiomatic systems.
The first axiomatic system was Euclidean geometry.Properties
Models