Alphabeta Math

Countability and Uncountability

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✓ 15 results · all verified · 11 also independently AI-judged
Every result on this page is machine-checked by a proof checker and read in full by a delegated reviewing agent on the owner's instruction; the judge is an additional, independent cross-model AI review of the proofs. The 4 not AI-judged were verified by owner audit (typically over a confirmed judge false positive), not failures.
1 · Prerequisites
2 · Logical flowchart

3 · Items

Definition

Equinumerous sets, A ≈ B and A ⪯ B

Lemma

On ℕ the order is membership: m < n ⟺ m ∈ n

Lemma

The pigeonhole principle on ℕ

Definition

Finite, countably infinite, countable, uncountable

Theorem

The Schröder-Bernstein theorem

Lemma

Every subset of an at most countable set is at most countable

Lemma

A nonempty set is at most countable iff it is a surjective image of ℕ

Lemma

The nonempty finite subsets of ℝ are exactly the listable ones

Theorem

ℕ × ℕ ≈ ℕ

Theorem

A product of two at most countable sets is at most countable

Definition

The Axiom of Countable Choice (AC_ω)

Definition

The axiom of dependent choice: a relation in which every element is related to something admits an ℕ-indexed chain

Definition

Choice for pairs and countable finite choice

Theorem

AC implies DC implies countable choice

Theorem

Countable unions of at most countable sets, assuming AC_ω

Theorem

ℚ is countably infinite

Theorem

Cantor's theorem: A ≺ P(A)

Theorem

ℝ is uncountable (Cantor's nested intervals, 1874)

Corollary

Every nondegenerate interval of ℝ is uncountable

Corollary

The irrationals are uncountable

Remark

The continuum hypothesis and the later local consistency results

False statement

FALSE: every uncountable subset of ℝ contains an interval

Sources