TITLE: What should $\aleph_2$ mean?
QUESTION [5 upvotes]: Just curious, what should $\aleph_2$ mean? I know that $\aleph_1$ is distinct from $\aleph_0$ and $\aleph_1$ is not countable, but what does $\aleph_2$ mean?

REPLY [6 votes]: To approach this in a slightly different manner than Asaf, in general for every ordinal number $\alpha$ we designate by $\aleph_\alpha$ the unique infinite cardinal number $\kappa$ such that the set of all infinite cardinals $< \kappa$ has order type $\kappa$ (according to the usual order).  So one may think of $\aleph_\alpha$ is the "$(\alpha+1)^{\text{st}}$ infinite cardinal".
I'm sure you already know that $\aleph_0$ is the smallest (first) infinite cardinal.
$\aleph_1$ is then the least cardinal number greater than $\aleph_0$, the second infinite cardinal, and the first uncountable cardinal.
$\aleph_2$ is the least cardinal number greater than $\aleph_1$.  (The third infinite cardinal, and the second uncountable one.)
Ans we can continue like this ad infinitum.