Math 2.0

Proof

Proof of Tarski's theorem about choice

Proof

The goal is to prove that the axiom of choice is implied by the statement "for every infinite set A:A: ∣A∣=∣A×A∣|A| = |A \times A|". It is known that the well-ordering theorem is equivalent to the axiom of choice; thus it is enough to show that the statement implies that for every set BB there exists a well-order.

Since the collection of all ordinals such that there exists a surjective function from BB to the ordinal is a set, there exists an infinite ordinal, β,\beta, such that there is no surjective function from BB to β.\beta. We assume without loss of generality that the sets BB and β\beta are disjoint. By the initial assumption, ∣B∪β∣=∣(B∪β)×(B∪β)∣,|B \cup \beta| = |(B \cup \beta) \times (B \cup \beta)|, thus there exists a bijection f:B∪β→(B∪β)×(B∪β).f : B \cup \beta \to (B \cup \beta) \times (B \cup \beta).

For every x∈B,x \in B, it is impossible that β×{x}⊆f[B],\beta \times \{x\} \subseteq f[B], because otherwise we could define a surjective function from BB to β.\beta. Therefore, there exists at least one ordinal γ∈β\gamma \in \beta such that f(γ)∈β×{x},f(\gamma) \in \beta \times \{x\}, so the set Sx={γ:f(γ)∈β×{x}}S_x = \{\gamma : f(\gamma) \in \beta \times \{x\}\} is not empty.

We can define a new function: g(x)=min⁡Sx.g(x) = \min S_x. This function is well defined since SxS_x is a non-empty set of ordinals, and so has a minimum. For every x,y∈B,x≠yx, y \in B, x \neq y the sets SxS_x and SyS_y are disjoint. Therefore, we can define a well order on B,B, for every x,y∈Bx, y \in B we define x≤y  ⟺  g(x)≤g(y),x \leq y \iff g(x) \leq g(y), since the image of g,g, that is, g[B]g[B] is a set of ordinals and therefore well ordered.

Where this leads

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Further reading

  1. Wikipedia, page 320578, revision 1336022373, Tarski's theorem about choice, section Proof. adopted
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