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(a)Prove that if A is uncountable and B is countable then C is uncountable. (b)S

ID: 3404022 • Letter: #

Question

(a)Prove that if A is uncountable and B is countable then C is uncountable.

(b)Suppose that C is uncountable. What can you say about A and B (countable or uncountable)? List all possibilities.

(c)Suppose that C is countable. What can you say about A and B (countable or uncountable)? List all possibilities.

I know this question has been asked before, but the answers do not answer what I am confused about. For parts (b) and (c) I don't quite understand what is meant by possibilities. I know that if C is uncountable then A and B are uncountable and the same goes for if C is countable, then A and B are countable. What are the possibilities?

Explanation / Answer

Part a)

Suppose that A-B is countable set. Also A=A-BUB (being union of two countable sets ) is countable thus A is a countable set. But this is not possible as A is an uncountable set.This A-B is uncountable set.That is C is uncountable set.

Part (b), it asks if C is uncountable, then what can be the possibilities on A and B. I will answer this part through a table, hopefully it will make better sense to you.


Therefore, we have two "Possibilities" for A and B.

Possibility1: Both A and B are uncountable

Possibility2: A is contable and B is uncountable.

Part (c):

It asks if C is contable, then what can be the possibilities on A and B. Let us see a table for this one as well:

Therefore, again we have two possibilities.

Possibility1: Set B is countable and Set A is also countable.

Possibility2: Set B is uncountable and set A is also uncountable.

Set C Set B Set A Uncountable Uncountable Uncountable Uncountable Contable Uncountable