MA2224 (Lebesgue integral) Tutorial sheet 1 [January 21, 2010] Name: Solutions 1. If S = {s1 , s2 , . . .

} is a countably innite set and t / S , show that S {t} is also countably innite. Solution: We can list the elements of S {t} by inserting t at the beginnings, that is as S {t} = {t, s1 , s2 , . . .}. Would this still be true if t S ? (Why?) Solution: Yes because if t S , then S {t} = S . Would it be true if we replaced countably innite by countable? (Why?) Solution: Yes, because countable means countably innite or nite. We have already considered the case when S is innite. In the remaining case when S is nite, so that S = {s1 , s2 , . . . , sn } has n elements for some n 0, then S {t} has n + 1 elements if t / S (and just n elements if t S ). 2. Show that N N is countably innite. (Recall N N means the set of ordered pairs (n, m) with n, m N. Hint: Make a picture of N N.) Solution:

We can list the elements (the grid points) by following a zig-zag pattern N N = {(1, 1), (2, 1), (1, 2), (1, 3), (2, 2), (3, 1), (4, 1), (3, 2), . . .}

so that the points (n, m) N N with smaller values of n + m are listed earlier than larger values and all pairs are included in the list. This shows that N N is countably innite (elements can be listed in an innite list). 3. If S and T are countably innite sets, show that S T is countable. Solution: This is really almost the same again, at least if S and T are countably innite. Start with lists of the elements of S = {s1 , s2 , s3 , . . .} and T = {t1 , t2 , t3 , . . .}, list all the pairs (sn , tm ) by following the same zig-zag pattern as we did for N N. S T = {(s1 , t1 ), (s2 , t1 ), (s1 , t2 ), (s1 , t3 ), (s2 , t2 ), (s3 , t1 ), (s4 , t1 ), (s3 , t2 ), . . .} Aside: This is also true in the case S and T are both countable, not necessarily countably innite. The argument is maybe messy as there are a number of cases to consider. If S or T is empty (zero elements) then S T is also empty. (So nite and so countable.) If S and T are both nite, then S T is again nite. If S = {s1 , s2 , . . . , sn } is nite, but T = {t2 , t2 , . . .} is (counatbly) innite then S T = {(s1 , t1 ), (s2 , t1 ), . . . , (sn , t1 ), (s1 , t2 ), (s2 , t2 ), . . . , ((sn , t2 ), (s1 , t3 ), . . .} is countably innite. On the other hand if T = {t1 , t2 , . . . , tm } is nite, while S = {s1 , s2 , . . .} is innite then S T = {(s1 , t1 ), (s1 , t2 ), . . . , (s1 , tm ), (s2 , t1 ), (s2 , t2 ), . . . , (s2 , tm ), (s3 , t1 ), . . .} It is a fact that if S is an innite set, then S contains a countably innite subset. Idea of how this is proved: Certainly S = and so there is an element s1 S . Now S \{s1 } cant be empty either as then S = {s1 } would be nite. So there is some s2 S \ {s1 }. We can continue inductively to nd sn S \ {s1 , s2 , . . . , sn1 }. Finially we get a counatbly innite subset {s1 , s2 , . . .} S . 4. If S is an innite set and t / S , show that there is a bijection f : S S {t} (so that the sets S and S {t} have the same number of elements). Solution: Consider a countably innite subset {s1 , s2 , . . .} S . Dene a bijection f : S S {t} by f (s1 ) = t, f (s2 ) = s1 , f (s3 ) = s2 , in general f (sn+1 ) = sn , and nally f (x) = x for x S \ {s1 , s2 , . . .}. So the idea is to match the lists {s1 , s2 , . . .} and {t, s1 , s2 , . . .}, while leaving the rest of the elements of S alone.

If S is an innite set and T is a countable set disjoint from S , show that there is a bijection f : S S T. Solution: The idea is similar in the case of countably innite T = {t1 , t2 , . . .}, but now to match {s1 , s2 , . . .} and {t1 , s1 , t2 , s2 , t3 , s3 , . . .}, while leaving the rest of the elements of S alone. So dene f (s2n1 ) = tn , f (s2n ) = sn , f (x) = x for x S \ {s1 , s2 , . . .}. In the case T is nite, say T = {t1 , t2 , . . . , tm } we might more easily be able to match {s1 , s2 , . . .} and {t1 , t2 , . . . , tm , s1 , s2 , s3 , . . .} (while leaving the rest of the elements of S alone again). (Another way would be to use induction and the step of adding one extra element. In fact, that would produce bijections S S {t1 } (S {t1 }) {t2 } = S {t1 , t2 } S {t1 , t2 , t3 } S T after m steps. The composition of the bijections would be a bijection from S to S T .) In both of these approaches to the case of nite T , the situation when T = is maybe being overlooked. It would correspond to m = 0 above, we have S T = S = S in this case and the identity map is a bijection from S to itself.

Show that there is a bijection f : R \ Q R (from the irrationals to the whole of R). Solution: This follows from the previous point by taking S = R \ Q and T = Q. We know Q is countably innite and the the R \ Q of irrationals is innite. (Are we sure we know that? Well 2 is irrational as is n 2 for n N. In fact R \ Q is uncountable.)

Richard M. Timoney 3