Exercise 1.3.5

(a) Given A , B , and C , there is a set P such that x P if and only if x = A or x = B or x = C .

(b) Generalize to four elements.

Answers

(a)

Proof. By the Axiom of Pair, the sets D = { A , B } and E = { C } uniquely exist. Then, by the Axiom of Union the set P = D E uniquely exists, which we claim is exactly the set we seek.

( ) Suppose that x P = D E so that x D or x E . If x D = { A , B } then either x = A or x = B . On the other hand, if x E = { C } then it must be that x = C . So in all cases it is true that x = A or x = B or x = C as desired.

( ) Suppose that x = A or x = B or x = C . In the first two cases clearly x D = { A , B } so that x D E = P . In the last case x = C so that clearly x E = { C } so that again x D E = P . Note that x P in both cases.

This proves the results, and we can denote our set P by { A , B , C } . □

(b)

Proof. Suppose that the four elements are A , B , C , and D . That is, we want to prove the existence of a set P such that x P if and only if x = A , x = B , x = C , or x = D . By part (a) just above, the set E = { A , B , C } exists as does F = { D } by the Axiom of Pair. Predictably, our set is then P = E F which exists by the Axiom of Union. We can denote this set P in kind by { A , B , C , D } . The proof that P is the set we seek is directly analogous to the corresponding proof in part (a), so we do not repeat it here. □

User profile picture
2024-07-15 11:42
Comments