Exercise 5.1.7

Use Cantor’s Theorem to show that “the set of all sets” does not exist.

Answers

Proof. Suppose that X is the set of all sets. Consider any Z 𝒫 ( X ) . Since clearly Z is a set we have Z X . Thus since Z was arbitrary it follows that 𝒫 ( X ) X so that by Exercise 4.1.3 | 𝒫 ( X ) | | X | . However, this contradicts Cantor’s Theorem, according to which | 𝒫 ( X ) | > | X | . Thus X cannot be the set of all sets. □

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2024-07-15 11:42
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