  The independence of the continuum hypothesis is a result of broad impact: it
settles a basic question regarding the nature of N and R, two of the most
familiar mathematical structures; it introduces the method of forcing that has
become the main workhorse of set theory; and it has broad implications on
mathematical foundations and on the role of syntax versus semantics. Despite
its broad impact, it is not broadly taught. A main reason is the lack of
accessible expositions for nonspecialists, because the mathematical structures
and techniques employed in the proof are unfamiliar outside of set theory. This
manuscript aims to take a step in addressing this gap by providing an
exposition at a level accessible to advanced undergraduate mathematicians and
theoretical computer scientists, while covering all the technically challenging
parts of the proof.
