Assignment 1 MATH2320

Jaron Lee
March 10, 2014
1
1.i
First, we begin by proving a required corollary (C1): a(0) = 0.
a(0 + 0) = a(0) A3
a(0) + a(0) = a(0) A9
a(0) + a(0) + (a(0)) = a(0) + (a(0)) A4
a(0) = 0
Now we show that (1)a = a.
(1) + 1 = 0 A4
a((1) + 1) = a(0)
= 0 C1
a(1) + a(1) = 0 A9
a(1) + a(1) + (a(1)) = (a(1)) A4
a(1) = (a(1))
(1)a = (a(1)) A5
(1)a = a A7
1.ii
0 < a < b
0(a
1
) < a(a)
1
< b(a
1
)
0 < 1 < ba
1
C1 and A8
b
1
(0) < b
1
< b
1
ba
1
0 < b
1
< a
1
C1 and A8
2
2.i
Ordered elds satisfy axioms A1 through to A11 while elds satisfy A1 through to A9; thus to
show that C is not an ordered eld we must violate one of A10 or A11.
1
We rst note that 1 / P. Assume for the sake of contradiction that 1 P. Then by A11
(1)(1) P which is a contradiction since exactly one of x P, x / P, x = 0 must be true.
Assume for the sake of contradiction that i P. Then i i = 1 / P. Thus we conclude by
A11 that i / P. By A10, it must be that either i / P or i = 0. The latter we know to be not true
since i 1 = i = 0 as per A7. Then it must be that i P. However, (i) (i) = i
2
= 1 / P.
This means A11 cannot be satised and so C is not an ordered eld.
2.ii
Let the function be:
f : C C
+ i i
x = a + bi
y = c + di
Now we verify the properties of a eld isomorphism.
f(x + y) = f(a + bi + c + di)
= f((a + c) + (b + d)i)
= a + c (b + d)i
= a bi + c di
= f(x) + f(y)
f(xy) = f((a + bi)(c + di))
= f(ac bd + i(bc + ad))
= ac bd i(bc + ad)
= (a bi)(c di)
= f(x)f(y)
The remaining thing to verify is that f is indeed a bijection. To prove injectivity we need to show
that x = y = f(x) = f(y).
a + bi = c + di
= a = c b = d
= a bi = c di
Surjectivity is trivial. Consider that ad function is surjective if x C, y Cs.t.f(y) = x.
This is true for our f because both x, y C.
3
3.i Method 1
For a set A
i
, for i 2 let each set consist only of a prime and its powers. Then each set is innite
since we can always raise primes to a higher power. There are also innte primes so we can obtain
an innite number of sets.
Let A
1
be a set consisting of products of two or more primes which may be raised to any power.
This set is innite because there are an innite number of primes. It is known that any number
can be expressed as a product of primes. Thus N =

j=1
A
j
. Since this expression is unique,
A
i
A
j
= if i = j.
2
3.ii Method 2
Let A
0
= {a
1
, a
2
, . . .} be the set of odd integers for odd numbers a
i
. Then A
n
= {2
n
a
1
, 2
n
a
2
, 2
n
a
3
, . . .}
for n N.
A
i
are all innte sets since there are innite primes. These sets are also disjoint. Consider two
numbers 2
n
a
i
, 2
m
a
j
drawn from dierent sets A
i
2
n
a
i
= 2
m
a
j
a
i
a
j
= 2
mn
Now a
i
, a
j
are odd numbers. This quotient cannot be a multiple of 2, except if
a
i
a
j
= 1 and
m = n i.e. they are the same number.
Finally, consider that the union of all these sets covers N. This is because every number is either
odd (and thus contained in A
0
)or is a product of an even and odd number (and thus contained in
some A
n
, n = 0). Hence

i=1
A
i
= N.
4
Let P(N)\X = S L. S =

k=1
S
k
, where each S
k
is a set containing all the nite subsets of N
with k elements.L = N\F, where F is any nite subset of N. We need to show that both S, L are
countable sets.
Firstly, we show that the set of all S
k
is countable i.e {S
k
}

k=1
is countable. But this is true
since we can construct a bijection such that f(S
k
) = k N.
Second, we show that S
k
is itself countable. Let s S
k
, where s = {x
1
, x
2
, x
3
, . . .}, x N.
Since s is a subset of N its elements are distinct. We dene a function f : S
k
N
k
such that
f(s) (x
1
, x
2
, x
3
, . . .).
This function is one-to-one, because (x
1
, x
2
, x
3
, . . .) = (y
1
, y
2
, y
3
, . . .) = {x
1
, x
2
, x
3
, . . .} =
{y
1
, y
2
, y
3
, . . .}. Then by denition

S
k

N
k
.
Third, we show that

N
k
=

N. This result can be derived from proving

N
2
=

N and then
iteratively applying it. If we select a pair of numbers from N we can write them as ordered pairs,
as below:
(1, 1)
//
(1, 2)

(1, 3)
//
(1, 4)

. . .
(2, 1)

(2, 2)
oo
(2, 3)
OO
(2, 4)

. . .
(3, 1)
//
(3, 2)
//
(3, 3)
OO
(3, 4)

. . .
(4, 1)

(4, 2)
oo
(4, 3)
oo
(4, 4)
oo
. . .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
By utilising the above space lling curve we can thus create a bijection between N
2
and N,
which proves

N
2
=

N, and hence

N
k
=

N.
From a theorem in the lectures (Theorem 4.9.1 (c)) we know that the union of a countable
family of countable sets is countable. Since S is such a union, it is therefore countable.
3
Lastly, we show that L is countable. From above, we have already shown that the set of all S
k
is countable. This means that the set of all nite subsets of N is also countable. For a given nite
set F, there exists a unique set N\F. Hence L is countable.
Consider that P(N) has cardinality c and is therefore uncountable. Consider also that P(N) =
X (S L). From a theorem in the lectures, the union of two countable sets is itself countable
(Theorem 4.9.1 (c)). Since S L is countable, X cannot be countable. The only other option is
for X to be uncountable, which concludes the proof.
4