{
  "aliases": null,
  "backlinks": null,
  "body": "\n## Proof\n\nWe argue by contradiction, with nested closed intervals.\n\n1. Suppose that $\\R$ is [[countable|0ZG61TFBES]]. Then there is an [[injective function|0PVG1CRAJN]] $j \\colon \\R \\to \\N$.\n2. Fix $n \\in \\N$. Since $j$ is injective, at most one real number $x$ satisfies $j(x) = n$.\n3. Let $[a, b]$ be a closed [[interval|0TK8Y3J5RW]] with $a \u003c b$, and put $d = (b - a)/3$. Let $L = [a, a + d]$ and $R = [b - d, b]$.\n4. Since $a + d \u003c b - d$, the intervals $L$ and $R$ are disjoint. By step 2, at least one of them contains no $x$ with $j(x) = n$.\n5. Define $T(n, [a, b])$ to be $L$ if $L$ contains no $x$ with $j(x) = n$, and $R$ otherwise. By step 4, $T(n, [a, b])$ is a closed subinterval of $[a, b]$ of length $d \u003e 0$ that contains no $x$ with $j(x) = n$.\n6. By [[definition by recursion|0DSHAVH45F]], there are closed intervals $I_n = [a_n, b_n]$ with $I_0 = [0, 1]$ and $I_{n+1} = T(n, I_n)$ for each $n \\in \\N$. Each has $a_n \u003c b_n$.\n7. By step 5, $I_{n+1} \\subseteq I_n$ for each $n$, and $I_{n+1}$ contains no real $x$ with $j(x) = n$.\n8. By the [[nested intervals theorem|MF56GK7QY2]], applied to $I_1 \\supseteq I_2 \\supseteq \\cdots$, there is a real number $y$ with $y \\in I_n$ for all $n \\ge 1$.\n9. Let $m = j(y)$. Then $y \\in I_{m+1}$ by step 8. But $I_{m+1}$ contains no $x$ with $j(x) = m$ by step 7. This is a contradiction.\n10. Hence there is no injection $\\R \\to \\N$, and $\\R$ is [[uncountable|0X55M9XET4]].\n\n## Idea\n\nEach natural number $n$ labels at most one real number. At stage $n$ we shrink the interval to a third that avoids that real. The completeness of $\\R$ gives a point in all the intervals, and this point has avoided its own label, which is absurd.\n",
  "commit": "68a8c3dc73fd55004b2796431c607c30960d1a85",
  "front": {
    "kind": "proof",
    "msc": [
      "03E10"
    ],
    "name": "Proof that the real numbers are uncountable by nested intervals",
    "proves": "0518MM6BE1",
    "sources": [
      {
        "locator": "Lemma 8 and Proposition 9",
        "url": "https://people.uwec.edu/daviscw/oldclasses/math316Spring2018/chapter1/lecture7/notes.pdf"
      }
    ],
    "tag": "B9T9E5Y7KQ",
    "uses": [
      "0X55M9XET4",
      "0ZG61TFBES",
      "0PVG1CRAJN",
      "0TK8Y3J5RW",
      "0DSHAVH45F",
      "MF56GK7QY2"
    ]
  },
  "kind": "proof",
  "link": "https://math2.tamnd.com/node/B9T9E5Y7KQ/",
  "links": [
    {
      "field": "proves",
      "target": "0518MM6BE1"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0X55M9XET4"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0ZG61TFBES"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0PVG1CRAJN"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0TK8Y3J5RW"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0DSHAVH45F"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "MF56GK7QY2"
    }
  ],
  "markdown": "https://math2.tamnd.com/node/B9T9E5Y7KQ.md",
  "msc": [
    "03E10"
  ],
  "name": "Proof that the real numbers are uncountable by nested intervals",
  "prov": null,
  "role": "",
  "source": "https://github.com/tamnd/math2/blob/main/nodes/B9T/B9T9E5Y7KQ.md",
  "status": null,
  "tag": "B9T9E5Y7KQ",
  "uri": "m2://B9T9E5Y7KQ",
  "url": "https://math2.tamnd.com/wiki/proof-that-the-real-numbers-are-uncountable-by-nested-intervals/",
  "writing": {
    "tag": "B9T9E5Y7KQ",
    "kind": "proof",
    "level": "W0",
    "next": [
      {
        "what": "an inventory row",
        "note": "the row of the inventory that the node accounts for",
        "have": 0,
        "want": 1
      }
    ]
  }
}
