Math 2.0

Proposition

The generalized continuum hypothesis holds in L

Statement

Let S∈LαS \in L_\alpha, and let TT be any constructible subset of SS. Then there is some β\beta with T∈Lβ+1T \in L_{\beta+1}, so T={x∈Lβ:x∈S∧Φ(x,zi)}={x∈S:Φ(x,zi)}T = \{x \in L_\beta : x \in S \wedge \Phi(x, z_i)\} = \{x \in S : \Phi(x, z_i)\}, for some formula Φ\Phi and some ziz_i drawn from LβL_\beta. By the downward Löwenheim–Skolem theorem and Mostowski collapse, there must be some transitive set KK containing LαL_\alpha and some wiw_i, and having the same first-order theory as LβL_\beta with the wiw_i substituted for the ziz_i; and this KK will have the same cardinal as LαL_\alpha. Since V=LV = L is true in LβL_\beta, it is also true in KK, so K=LγK = L_\gamma for some γ\gamma having the same cardinal as α\alpha. And T={x∈Lβ:x∈S∧Φ(x,zi)}={x∈Lγ:x∈S∧Φ(x,wi)}T = \{x \in L_\beta : x \in S \wedge \Phi(x, z_i)\} = \{x \in L_\gamma : x \in S \wedge \Phi(x, w_i)\} because LβL_\beta and LγL_\gamma have the same theory. So TT is in fact in Lγ+1L_{\gamma+1}.

So all the constructible subsets of an infinite set SS have ranks with (at most) the same cardinal κ\kappa as the rank of SS; it follows that if δ\delta is the initial ordinal for κ+\kappa^+, then L∩𝒫(S)⊆LδL \cap \mathcal{P}(S) \subseteq L_\delta serves as the "power set" of SS within LL Thus this "power set" L∩𝒫(S)∈Lδ+1L \cap \mathcal{P}(S) \in L_{\delta+1}. And this in turn means that the "power set" of SS has cardinal at most ∣δ∣\vert\delta\vert. Assuming SS itself has cardinal κ\kappa, the "power set" must then have cardinal exactly κ+\kappa^+. But this is precisely the generalized continuum hypothesis relativized to LL.

Further reading

  1. Wikipedia, page 343335, revision 1372309993, Constructible universe, section The generalized continuum hypothesis holds in L. adopted
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Changed4 November 2026

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