- Transfinite number
Transfinite numbers are
cardinal number s orordinal number s that are larger than all finite numbers, yet not necessarily absolutely infinite. The term "transfinite" was coined byGeorg Cantor , who wished to avoid some of the implications of the word "infinite" in connection with these objects, which were nevertheless not "finite". Few contemporary workers share these qualms; it is now accepted usage to refer to transfinite cardinals and ordinals as "infinite". However, the term "transfinite" also remains in use.Definition
As with finite numbers, there are two ways of thinking of transfinite numbers, as ordinal and cardinal numbers. Unlike the finite ordinals and cardinals, the transfinite ordinals and cardinals define different classes of numbers.
* ω (omega) is defined as the lowest transfinite
ordinal number .*
Aleph-null , aleph_0}, is defined as the first transfinitecardinal number and is thecardinality of theinfinite set of thenatural number s. If theaxiom of choice holds, the next highercardinal number isaleph-one , aleph_1}. If not, there may be other cardinals which are incomparable with aleph-one and larger than aleph-zero. But in any case, there are no cardinals between aleph-zero and aleph-one.The
continuum hypothesis states that there are no intermediate cardinal numbers between aleph-null and thecardinality of the continuum (the set ofreal number s): that is to say, aleph-one is the cardinality of the set of real numbers. (IfZFC is consistent, then neither the continuum hypothesis nor its negation can be proven from ZFC.)Some authors, for example Suppes, Rubin, use the term "transfinite cardinal" to refer to the cardinality of a
Dedekind-infinite set , in contexts where this may not be equivalent to "infinite cardinal"; that is, in contexts where theaxiom of countable choice is not assumed or is not known to hold. Given this definition, the following are all equivalent:
* "m" is a transfinite cardinal. That is, there is a Dedekind infinite set "A" such that the cardinality of "A" is "m".
* "m" + 1 = "m".
* aleph_0} ≤ "m".
* there is a cardinal "n" such that aleph_0} + "n" = "m".ee also
*
Absolutely infinite
*Aleph number
*Beth number
*Georg Cantor
*Cardinal number
*Inaccessible cardinal
*Infinitesimal
*Large cardinal
*Large countable ordinal
*Limit ordinal
*Mahlo cardinal
*Measurable cardinal
*Ordinal arithmetic
*Ordinal number References
*Levy, Azriel, 2002 (1979) "Basic Set Theory". Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-42079-5
*O'Connor, J. J. and E. F. Robertson (1998) " [http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Cantor.html Georg Ferdinand Ludwig Philipp Cantor,] "MacTutor History of Mathematics archive .
*Rubin, Jean E., 1967. "Set Theory for the Mathematician". San Francisco: Holden-Day. Grounded inMorse-Kelley set theory .
*Rudy Rucker , 2005 (1982) "Infinity and the Mind". Princeton Univ. Press. Primarily an exploration of the philosophical implications of Cantor's paradise.
*Patrick Suppes , 1972 (1960) "Axiomatic Set Theory". Dover. ISBN 0-486-61630-4. Grounded inZFC .
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