M361K (56225) Problem Set 1 Solutions

1. Suppose I ,= . Let A
i

iI
be a nonempty family of subsets of a set B. Prove De
Morgans Laws, i.e.,
B
_
iI
A
i
=

iI
(B A
i
) (1)
B

iI
A
i
=
_
iI
(B A
i
) (2)
Solution:
1. First well prove equation (1). Suppose x B

iI
A
i
. Then x B and
x /

iI
A
i
. Since I ,= , there thus exists an i I such that x / A
i
.
Hence x /

iI
A
i
, so x

iI
(B A
i
). This establishes the inclusion
B
_
iI
A
i

iI
(B A
i
).
For the reverse inclusion, suppose x

iI
(B A
i
). Then for all i I, we
have x B A
i
. Hence x B and for all i I, we have x / A
i
. As a result,
we nd x /

iI
A
i
, so x B

iI
A
i
. Hence
B
_
iI
A
i

iI
(B A
i
),
so the equality in equation (1) holds.
2. Well now establish equation (2). Observe that if X and Y are sets, we have
X (X Y ) = X Y.
Recall that A
i
B for all i I. By equation (1), we have
B
_
iI
(B A
i
) =

iI
(B (B A
i
)) =

iI
A
i
.
Hence
B

iI
A
i
= B
_
B
_
iI
(B A
i
)
_
= B
_
iI
(B A
i
) =
_
iI
(B A
i
).
2. Let f : X Y be a map of sets.
Problem Set 1 Solutions 2
(a) Suppose A, B Y . Show that
f
1
(A B) = f
1
(A) f
1
(B) (3)
f
1
(A B) = f
1
(A) f
1
(B) (4)
Solution: We establish equation (3): we have x f
1
(A B) if and only if
f(x) AB. This in turn occurs if and only if f(x) A or f(x) B, i.e., if and
only if x f
1
(A) or x f
1
(B). Hence (3) holds. The proof of equation (4)
is similar.
(b) Suppose C, D X. Show that
f(C) f(D) = f(C D). (5)
Solution: Let x f(C) f(D). Then x = f(a) for some a X with a C
(if x f(C)) or a D (if x f(D)). In either case, we have a C D,
so x f(C D). Conversely, if x f(C D), then x = f(a) for some a
C D. If a C, then x f(C); if a D, then x f(D), so in either
case, x f(C) f(D).
(c) Give an example of f : X Y and subsets C, D X so that
f(C) f(D) ,= f(C D). (6)
Solution: Let f : R R be given by f(x) = x
2
and dene
C = (, 0) D = (0, ).
Then f(C D) = while f(C) f(D) = (0, ).
3. Suppose that n > 0 is natural and x
1
, . . . , x
n
are real numbers. Prove that
_
n

i=1
[x
i
[
_
2
n
n

i=1
x
2
i
. (7)
Is this inequality strict? [Hint: use the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality.]
Problem Set 1 Solutions 3
Solution: Recall that the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality states that
[x y[ |x|
2
|y|
2
for vectors x, y R
n
. Let
x = ([x
1
[, [x
2
[, . . . , [x
n
[) y = (1, 1, . . . , 1).
Then we have
n

i=1
[x
i
[ n
1/2
_
n

i=1
x
2
i
_
1/2
.
By squaring this inequality, we obtain (7). This inequality is not strict: let x
1
=
x
2
= = x
n
= 1. Then the inequality reads n
2
n
2
.
4. In this exercise, you will prove the following theorem of Dirichlet: for a given real
number , the inequality
[ p/q[ < 1/q
2
(8)
has innitely many distinct rational solutions p/q if and only if is irrational.
(a) Suppose that a/b Q and p/q Q. Show that if
[a/b p/q[ < 1/bq, (9)
then a/b = p/q. (Here a, b, p, q are integers and b, q > 0.)
Solution: Suppose that equation (9) holds. We have
a
b

p
q
=
aq bp
bq
,
so
[aq bp[
bq
<
1
bq
.
Multiplying by bq, we nd [aq bp[ < 1. However, a, q, b, p are integral, so this
implies aq = bp.
(b) Suppose that a/b Q and p/q Q. Show that if
[a/b p/q[ < 1/q
2
, (10)
then q b or a/b = p/q. (Again, here a, b, p, q are integers and b, q are positive.)
Conclude that equation (8) has nitely many solutions if is rational.
Problem Set 1 Solutions 4
Solution: Suppose equation (10) holds. Assume q > b. Then 1/q < 1/b,
so 1/q
2
< 1/bq. Hence by the rst part of the question, we see that a/b = p/q.
Hence either a/b = p/q or q b.
We have reduced the claim to showing that there are nitely many rational
numbers p/q with q b and [a/b p/q[ < 1/q
2
. For a xed value of q, a
fraction p/q is a solution if and only if [qa/b p[ < 1/q. There are only nitely
many integers in the open interval (qa/b 1/q, qa/b + 1/q) as it is bounded.
Since there are only nitely many solutions for each q and only nitely many q
(recall 1 q b), we have shown the claim.
(c) Write [] for the fractional part of a real number , i.e., [] is the greatest
integer less than or equal to . Note that for all R, we have 0 [] < 1.
Suppose R Q. Let n > 1 be natural. Consider the set
S =
_
0, [], [2], . . . , [n], 1
_
.
Show that there are two elements x, y S so that 0 < [xy[ 1/(n+1). Conclude
that there exist integers p and q with 0 < q n so that
[ p/q[ 1/((n + 1)q).
Solution: Since is irrational, the set S has n+2 elements. To see this, observe
that [i] = [j] implies that (i j) is an integer, which in turn implies Q.
Now, let
= inf
_
[x y[

x, y S and x ,= y
_
.
Lets enumerate the elements of S as an ordered subset of [0, 1]:
0 = x
0
< x
1
< < x
n
< x
n+1
= 1.
We have x
k+1
x
k
for all k, 0 k < n + 1. Hence x
k
k + x
0
= k for
all k, 0 k < n + 1. Since x
n+1
= 1, we see that 1/(n + 1), so there exist
distinct x, y S so that 0 < [x y[ 1/(n + 1). There are two possibilities to
consider:
1. If x, y < 1, then we have x = [i] and y = [j] for some i, j with 0
i, j n. By relabeling if necessary, we may assume that i > j. Hence
there is some integer m so that [(i j) m[ 1/(n + 1) (namely, m is
the sum of the integer parts of i and j). Hence
[ m/(i j)[ 1/((n + 1)(i j))
and i j n.
2. If x = [i] < 1 and y = 1, there is an integer m so that [im[ < 1/(n+1)
(namely, m = i| +1). Hence [m/i[ = 1/(i(n+1)). Note that i n.
Problem Set 1 Solutions 5
(d) Use the previous part to prove that if R Q, the equation
[ p/q[ < 1/q
2
(11)
has innitely many distinct solutions p/q Q.
Solution: This follows almost immediately from the previous part of this ex-
ercise. Let S Q be the set of solutions of equation (11). Suppose S is nite.
Then there is an element p/q S so that
[ p/q[ [ p

/q

[
for all p

/q

S. Since is irrational, we also have [ p/q[ > 0. Let n > 0 be

/q

Q so that
[ p

/q

[ 1/((n + 1)q

) < [ p/q[
and q

< n+1. Then [p

/q

[ < 1/(q

)
2
, so p

/q

S. This is a contradiction.
so S is innite.