Integers are Countable
From ProofWiki
Theorem
The set $\Z$ of integers is countably infinite.
Proof
Define the inclusion mapping $i: \N \to \Z$.
From Inclusion Mapping is an Injection, $i: \N \to \Z$ is an injection.
Thus there exists an injection from $\N$ to $\Z$.
Hence $\Z$ is infinite.
Next, let us arrange $\Z$ in the following order:
- $\Z = \left\{{0, 1, -1, 2, -2, 3, -3, \ldots}\right\}$
Then we can directly see that we can define a mapping $\phi: \Z \to \N$ as follows:
- $\forall x \in \Z: \phi \left({x}\right) = \begin{cases} 2x - 1 & : x > 0 \\ - 2x & : x \le 0 \end{cases}$
It is straightforward to show that this is an injection:
Let $\phi \left({x}\right) = \phi \left({y}\right)$. Then one of the following applies:
- $(1): \quad -2x = -2y$ in which case $x = y$
- $(2): \quad 2x - 1 = 2y - 1$ in which case $2x = 2y$ and so $x = y$
- $(3): \quad 2x - 1 = -2y$ in which case $y = -x + \frac 1 2$ and therefore $y \notin \Z$
- $(4): \quad 2y - 1 = -2x$ in which case $x = -y + \frac 1 2$ and therefore $x \notin \Z$.
So $2x - 1 = -2y$ and $2y - 1 = -2x$ can't happen and so $x = y$.
Thus $\phi$ is injective.
The result follows from Injection from Infinite to Countably Infinite Set.
$\blacksquare$
Sources
- J.A. Green: Sets and Groups (1965)... (previous)... (next): $\S 1.1$: Example $6$
- A.N. Kolmogorov and S.V. Fomin: Introductory Real Analysis (1968): $\S 2.2$: Example $1$
- Allan Clark: Elements of Abstract Algebra (1971)... (previous)... (next): $\S 15$
- René L. Schilling: Measures, Integrals and Martingales (2005)... (previous)... (next) $2.5 \ \text{(iii)}$