Hall's Marriage Theorem - Marriage Condition Does Not Extend

Marriage Condition Does Not Extend

The following example, due to Marshall Hall, Jr., shows that the marriage condition (MC) will not guarantee the existence of an SDR in an infinite family in which infinite sets are allowed.

Let S be the family, A0 = {1, 2, 3, ...}, A1 = {1}, A2 = {2}, ..., Ai = {i}, ...

The marriage condition (MC) holds for this infinite family, but no SDR can be constructed.

The more general problem of selecting a (not necessarily distinct) element from each of a collection of sets (without restriction as to the number of sets or the size of the sets) is permitted in general only if the axiom of choice is accepted.

Read more about this topic:  Hall's Marriage Theorem

Famous quotes containing the words marriage, condition and/or extend:

    From infancy, almost, the average girl is told that marriage is her ultimate goal; therefore her training and education must be directed toward that end. Like the mute beast fattened for slaughter, she is prepared for that.
    Emma Goldman (1869–1940)

    It is difficult to make our material condition better by the best law, but it is easy enough to ruin it by bad laws.
    Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919)

    It is not enough to merely defend democracy. To defend it may be to lose it; to extend it is to strengthen it. Democracy is not property; it is an idea.
    Hubert H. Humphrey (1911–1978)