Pigeonhole Principle - Infinite Sets

Infinite Sets

The pigeonhole principle can be extended to infinite sets by phrasing it in terms of cardinal numbers: if the cardinality of set A is greater than the cardinality of set B, then there is no injection from A to B. However in this form the principle is tautological, since the meaning of the statement that the cardinality of set A is greater than the cardinality of set B is exactly that there is no injective map from A to B. What makes the situation of finite sets interesting is that adding at least one element to a set is sufficient to ensure that the cardinality increases.

Read more about this topic:  Pigeonhole Principle

Famous quotes containing the words infinite and/or sets:

    A little grit in the eye destroyeth the sight of the very heavens, and a little malice or envy a world of joys. One wry principle in the mind is of infinite consequence.
    Thomas Traherne (1636–1674)

    It is odd but agitation or contest of any kind gives a rebound to my spirits and sets me up for a time.
    George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)