Alphabeta Math
LemmaStatement: AI-adaptedProof: AI-generatedPipeline-generatedjudge pass (gpt-5.6-terra)audited 2026-09-09
How statement and proof provenance work

The first chip identifies the source of the statement or construction; the second identifies the source of its local proof or verification.

  • Literature-sourced: the exact statement appears in a cited source; only wording and notation differ.
  • AI-adapted: a semantically identical restatement of literature-sourced material, modulo indexing, notation, and boundary cases adopted by the library.
  • AI-generated: a genuinely novel statement formulated by AI, with no source for the claim itself.

These labels describe origin, not correctness: citations and verification chips remain separate evidence.

Every set model of first-order ZF has infinitely many elements

Statement

If a nonempty set structure M=(M,E) satisfies TZF, its external carrier M is infinite. No transitivity or external well-foundedness of E is assumed. In fact the proof constructs an external injection ωM.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: Work in the external metatheory ZF, with MTZF.

[F1]

TZF includes the exact Extensionality, Pairing, Infinity and Foundation sentences displayed in its definition. (The set of first-order ZF axiom sentences)

[F2]

Satisfaction interprets equality literally and all quantifiers over the carrier, using the interpreted relation for each atomic membership formula. (Existence and uniqueness of set satisfaction)

[F3]

A specified initial element and total function on a set yield a unique natural-number recursion. (The recursion theorem)

[F4]

A subset of the naturals containing zero and closed under successor is all of the naturals. (The principle of mathematical induction)

[F5]

There is no injection from n+1 into n for any natural n. (The pigeonhole principle on N)

[F6]

Distinct natural numbers are strictly comparable. (Trichotomy of the order on N)

Proof

1.1

For aM, Pairing with both inputs a gives sM such that for all tM, tEs iff t=a. Thus aEs, and s has an E-member. Foundation applied inside M to s gives bEs with no uM satisfying both uEb and uEs. Necessarily b=a. If aEa, choosing u=a would satisfy both relations, a contradiction. Therefore aEa fails for every aM. This derives irreflexivity internally from actual axiom instances, without asserting that E is externally well founded.

F1F2
1.2

Infinity gives I,eM with eEI, with no tEe, and such that for every yEI some sEI has tEs iff (tEy or t=y) for all tM. Extensionality makes this s unique: any two choices have exactly the same E-members. Let D={yM:yEI}. Separation forms D, which contains e, and the displayed unique-successor relation defines a total function S:DD by Separation and Replacement. F3 yields an external sequence x:ωD with x0=e and xn+1=S(xn). No sequence of arbitrary choices is taken.

F1F2F3
2.1

For every i<j<ω, xiExj. To prove this, induct on j. There is nothing to check at j=0. At j+1, the successor clause gives xjExj+1 via equality to xj. If i<j, induction gives xiExj, and the same clause gives xiExj+1. These cases exhaust i<j+1.

F4step 1.2
3.1

If i<j and xi=xj, step 2.1 would give xiExi, contrary to step 1.1. Distinct naturals are comparable, so ij implies xixj. Thus nxn is an injection ωDM, and M cannot be finite: if a bijection Mn existed, its composition with the first n+1 sequence values would contradict F5. For each n, its first n distinct values exhibit the finite lower bound Mn; at n=0 this is vacuous, and x0=e supplies the bound 1.

step 1.1step 1.2step 2.1F5F6

Depends on

Used by

Dependency tree · two levels

36 results within two dependency steps of this one, each drawn at its shortest distance from it. An arrow runs from a result to what uses it, so the chart reads left to right and ends at this result, which carries a heavier outline. Every node is a link to that result. Click elsewhere on the chart to enlarge it.

Sources