Alphabeta Math
TheoremStatement: AI-adaptedProof: AI-adaptedPipeline-generatedjudge pass (gpt-5.6-terra)audited 2026-09-10
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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.
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Choice gives a Bernstein set with no perfect-set, Baire or measure regularity

Statement

Assume AC. There is a Bernstein B⊆R. Both B and its complement are uncountable, contain no nonempty perfect subset, lack the Baire property, are not Lebesgue measurable and are not Borel. Moreover λ∗(B)=0 and λ∗(B∩I)=λ(I) for every nondegenerate bounded interval I. Existence alone needs only a well-order of R; the measure conclusions here use the stronger AC assumption.

Facts & Assumptions

[F1]

The well-ordering theorem well-orders the real line under AC.

[F2]

Assuming the real line can be well ordered, a Bernstein set exists supplies a Bernstein set from that well-order.

[F3]

Bernstein subset of R says every nonempty perfect set meets both sides; Perfect subset of R: closed with no isolated points means closed with no isolated points.

[F6]

Baire property sigma-algebra and Borel regularity gives Borel inclusion and the meagre ideal under AC.

[F8]

The rationals embed densely in the reals and Q is countably infinite give rational refinements and fixed natural codes.

[F9]

For every ε>0 in a complete ordered field there is a natural n≥1 with 1/n<ε gives arbitrarily small reciprocal bounds; The recursion theorem gives prescribed length recursion.

Proof

Given: AC and the indicated real-line conventions.

1.1F1F2F3A1

By F1 and A1 fix a well-order of R and apply F2 to obtain Bernstein B. Its complement is Bernstein too, since F3's two intersection conditions are symmetric. Neither side contains a nonempty perfect P: such P must also meet the other side by F3, contrary to containment.

1.2F8F9

We prove the category avoidance needed below. Given a nonempty open interval J and a sequence of closed nowhere dense F_n, choose the least rational bounded interval I_empty of length less than one with closure inside J∖F0. Given I_s at depth n, choose the least coded pair of rational nonempty child intervals with disjoint closures inside Is∖Fn+1 and lengths less than 1/(n+2). Such pairs exist: the complement of the closed nowhere dense set has a nonempty open piece in I_s; that piece contains two separated rational intervals by F8. F9's recursion, with defaults outside valid histories, constructs all levels, and the preceding existence proves defaults unused. Put K=⋂n⋃∣s∣=nIs‾. Each level is closed (a finite union), so K is closed.

2.1F3F7F9step 1.2

Each binary branch gives nested nonempty bounded closed intervals with lengths tending to zero by F9; F7 supplies its unique point, inside J and outside every F_n. Hence K is nonempty. A point of K has a unique interval at each level by disjoint sibling closures and determines a branch, so these are exactly K's points. For x in K and ϵ>0, take a level interval on its branch of length less than ϵ. Follow the opposite child at the next level and then always the left child. F7 supplies a different point of K in that same parent interval, by disjoint child closures; its distance from x is less than ϵ. Thus K has no isolated point and is a nonempty perfect set by F3.

3.1F3F6A1step 1.1step 2.1

No Bernstein set is meagre: otherwise close its nowhere dense covering witnesses and apply step 2.1 in (0,1) to obtain a nonempty perfect set missing it, contrary to F3. If B had the Baire property, choose open U and closed nowhere dense F_n covering B△U. If U were empty B would be meagre, already excluded. Otherwise choose an interval J inside U and use step 2.1 to find nonempty perfect K⊆J∖⋃nFn⊆B, contradicting step 1.1. The same argument applies to the complement. Countable real sets are meagre, since singletons are closed nowhere dense and an enumeration (padded for finite sets) supplies witnesses; hence neither side is countable. By F6 and A1 every Borel set has the Baire property, so neither side is Borel.

4.1F4F5A1step 1.1

AC supplies countable choice: a choice function on the range of a sequence of nonempty sets, composed with that sequence, chooses its terms. Therefore F4 and F5 apply to B and to its Bernstein complement from step 1.1. F5 gives nonmeasurability of both. F4 gives inner measure zero and the exact outer measure value for B in every specified interval, regardless of its endpoint convention. These conclude all assertions. QED.

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