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24.118: Paradox and Infinity, Fall 2017 Problem Set 2: The Higher Infinite

This document provides instructions and problems for Problem Set 2 of the course 24.118: Paradox and Infinity. It outlines how answers will be graded based on correctness for Part I and on justification for Part II. Part I consists of true/false questions about set theory concepts. Part II asks to provide examples of non-linear orderings and non-well-orderings, show that a given set U contains nested sets of natural numbers for each finite n, and justify whether U contains an infinitely nested set. It also asks to prove there is no ordinal α such that α <o ∅ and use the Ordinal Construction Principle to show if α has infinitely many members, then either α = ω or ω

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Joe Bergeron
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80 views2 pages

24.118: Paradox and Infinity, Fall 2017 Problem Set 2: The Higher Infinite

This document provides instructions and problems for Problem Set 2 of the course 24.118: Paradox and Infinity. It outlines how answers will be graded based on correctness for Part I and on justification for Part II. Part I consists of true/false questions about set theory concepts. Part II asks to provide examples of non-linear orderings and non-well-orderings, show that a given set U contains nested sets of natural numbers for each finite n, and justify whether U contains an infinitely nested set. It also asks to prove there is no ordinal α such that α <o ∅ and use the Ordinal Construction Principle to show if α has infinitely many members, then either α = ω or ω

Uploaded by

Joe Bergeron
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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24.

118: Paradox and Infinity, Fall 2017


Problem Set 2: The Higher Infinite
How these problems will be graded:

• In Part I there is no need to justify your answers. Assessment will be


based on whether your answers are correct.
• In Part II you must justify your answers. Assessment will be based on both
whether you give the correct answer and on how your answers are justified.
(In some problem sets I will ask you to answer questions that don’t have
clear answers. Even if it is unclear whether your answer is correct, it can
be clear whether or not the reasons you have given in support of your
answer are good ones.)
• No answer may consist of more than 150 words. Longer answers will not
be given credit. (Showing your work in a calculation or a proof does not
count towards the word limit.)
• You may consult published literature and the web. You must, however,
credit all sources. Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism and can have
serious consequences. For advice about when and how to credit sources
see: https://integrity.mit.edu/

Part I
1. Answer each of the following questions. (10 points each)

(a) Is ℘(℘(℘(∅))) totally ordered by ∈?


(b) Is ℘(℘(℘(∅))) − {{{∅}}} totally ordered by ∈?

Definitions: ∅ is the empty set; if A and B are sets, ℘(A) is the set of A’s subsets
and A − B is the set whose members are the elements of A that are not also elements
of B (so, for instance, {1, 2} − {1} = {2}).

2. Determine whether each of the following statements is true or false. (2 points each)

(a) α + 00 = α ∪ {α}
(b) 00 + ω = ω + 00
(c) 00 + 0000 = 0000 + 00
(d) (ω + 000 ) + ω <o (ω + ω) + 000
(e) 00 × 0000 = 0000 × 00
(f) 0000 × ω = (ω + ω) + ω

1
(g) ω × 0000 = ω + (ω + ω)
(h) (ω × 000 ) + ω <o (ω × ω) + 000
(i) ω × ω <o ω × (000 × ω)
(j) ω × (ω + ω) = (ω × ω) + (ω × ω)

Part II
3. Using an example not found in the course material:

(a) Specify (i) a set whose members are not numbers and (ii) an ordering on that
set that is not a linear ordering. (10 points)
(b) Specify (i) a set of any kind and (ii) a linear ordering on that set that is not a
well-ordering. (10 points)

4. Let U be the following set:

℘n(N)
[

n∈N

(a) Show that U contains the set {{. . . {{ 17 }} . . .}} for each n > 0. (10 points)
| {z } | {z }
n times n times

(b) Does U also contain a set {{. . . {{ 17 }} . . .}}? Don’t forget to explain your
| {z } | {z }
∞ times ∞ times
answer. (5 points)

5. Show that there is no ordinal α such that α <o ∅. (10 points)

6. Recall the Ordinal Construction Principle:

Construction Principle At each stage, introduce a new ordinal: the set of all
ordinals that have been introduced at previous stages.

Use this Principle to show that if α is an ordinal with infinitely many members, then
either α = ω or ω <o α. (15 points)

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