Axiom:Axiom of Extension/Set Theory/Formulation 2
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Axiom
Let $A$ and $B$ be sets.
The Axiom of Extension can be formulated as:
- $\forall x: \paren {\paren {A = B \land A \in x} \implies B \in x}$
This formulation is used in set theories that define $=$ instead of admitting it as a primitive.
Also known as
The Axiom of Extension is also known as:
- the Axiom of Extensionality
- the Axiom of Extent.
Linguistic Note
The nature of the Axiom of Extension, or Axiom of Extensionality as it is frequently called, suggests that the Axiom of Extent ought in fact to be the preferred name, as it gives a precise definition of the extent of a collection.
However, the word extensionality is a term in logic which determines equality of objects by its external features, as opposed to intensionality, which is more concerned with internal structure.