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Hauptverfasser: Vlahovic, Slavica Mihaljevic, Vlahovic, Branislav Dobrasin
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2021
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:https://arxiv.org/abs/2112.12859
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author Vlahovic, Slavica Mihaljevic
Vlahovic, Branislav Dobrasin
author_facet Vlahovic, Slavica Mihaljevic
Vlahovic, Branislav Dobrasin
contents This article explores the model-dependent nature of set cardinality, emphasizing that cardinality is not absolute but varies across different axiomatic frameworks. Although Cantor's diagonal argument shows the real numbers are non-denumerable within ZF (Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory), the precise cardinality of the continuum remains unsettled and depends critically on model assumptions. For instance, under Gödel's inner-model axiom V=Ultimate L, the Continuum Hypothesis (CH) holds, whereas Martin's Axiom implies its negation. The Löwenheim-Skolem theorem further illustrates this relativity by demonstrating that any first-order theory admitting a non-denumerable model must also admit denumerable models, highlighting that even the notions of "denumerable" and "non-denumerable" are inherently model-relative. To examine these issues concretely, we construct two countable sets with properties typically attributed only to the continuum. First, within ZFC (ZF plus Axiom of Choice), we build a countable set $S_m$ from all closed intervals with rational endpoints. By assigning irrational marks simultaneously to each interval, respecting the nested interval structure, we obtain a set that is everywhere dense and Dedekind complete, yet countable. Next, we explicitly construct a similar set within Wang's $Σ$-model by systematically inserting irrational numbers between rational numbers via infinite diagonalization, resulting in a constructive enumeration of reals. These findings identify foundational tensions between classical proofs of non-denumerability and the Nested Interval Property, prompting a reevaluation of cardinality and CH within formal set theory.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2112_12859
institution arXiv
publishDate 2021
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A Countable, Dense, Dedekind-Complete Subset of $\mathbb{R}$ Constructed by Extending $\mathbb{Q}$ via Simultaneous Marking of Closed Intervals with Rational Endpoints
Vlahovic, Slavica Mihaljevic
Vlahovic, Branislav Dobrasin
Logic
11B05
This article explores the model-dependent nature of set cardinality, emphasizing that cardinality is not absolute but varies across different axiomatic frameworks. Although Cantor's diagonal argument shows the real numbers are non-denumerable within ZF (Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory), the precise cardinality of the continuum remains unsettled and depends critically on model assumptions. For instance, under Gödel's inner-model axiom V=Ultimate L, the Continuum Hypothesis (CH) holds, whereas Martin's Axiom implies its negation. The Löwenheim-Skolem theorem further illustrates this relativity by demonstrating that any first-order theory admitting a non-denumerable model must also admit denumerable models, highlighting that even the notions of "denumerable" and "non-denumerable" are inherently model-relative. To examine these issues concretely, we construct two countable sets with properties typically attributed only to the continuum. First, within ZFC (ZF plus Axiom of Choice), we build a countable set $S_m$ from all closed intervals with rational endpoints. By assigning irrational marks simultaneously to each interval, respecting the nested interval structure, we obtain a set that is everywhere dense and Dedekind complete, yet countable. Next, we explicitly construct a similar set within Wang's $Σ$-model by systematically inserting irrational numbers between rational numbers via infinite diagonalization, resulting in a constructive enumeration of reals. These findings identify foundational tensions between classical proofs of non-denumerability and the Nested Interval Property, prompting a reevaluation of cardinality and CH within formal set theory.
title A Countable, Dense, Dedekind-Complete Subset of $\mathbb{R}$ Constructed by Extending $\mathbb{Q}$ via Simultaneous Marking of Closed Intervals with Rational Endpoints
topic Logic
11B05
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2112.12859