Both the set of natural numbers and the set of integers are infinite in size. Amazingly, though, they’re exactly the same size. In this blog post, we’ll explore a technique for showing that these two infinite-sized sets have equal cardinality: creating a bijection between them. We’ll use this technique to show that, counter to all intuition, there are exactly as many natural numbers as there are integers.
Tag: discrete math
The Ambiguous Subset Symbol
A common question students face on exams is to determine whether one set, A, is a subset of another set, B. Similarly, a question might ask if set A is a strict subset of B. Questions like these often contain symbols that look similar, and one symbol that has an ambiguous meaning altogether. In this blog post, we work to demystify the symbols used for subsets and strict subsets, to help us better understand different textbooks and online resources on the topic.