Is Adding Even Numbers to Fractions Enough to Prove Countable Infinity?

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In summary, the conversation discusses how to prove that a set of rational numbers where the denominator is odd and the numerator is even is countably infinite. One method suggested is to use the "swan-walk" method of iterating through all fractions in a countable fashion. It is also mentioned that this set can be proven to be infinite by finding an infinite number of different elements, such as the set of all even integers.
  • #1
JProgrammer
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I am trying to prove how this set is countably infinite:

q∈Q:q=a/b where a is even and b is odd

a needs to be even and b needs to be odd, so I thought this would prove that it would be countably infinite:

q = a/b + x/x, where x is any even number.

a always needs to be even and b always needs to be odd, so if they have the value of x added to them with x being any even number, they would always be positive or negative.

My question is: is this enough to prove that this set is countably infinite? If not, what do I need to do?
 
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  • #2
JProgrammer said:
I am trying to prove how this set is countably infinite:

q∈Q:q=a/b where a is even and b is odd

a needs to be even and b needs to be odd, so I thought this would prove that it would be countably infinite:

q = a/b + x/x, where x is any even number.

a always needs to be even and b always needs to be odd, so if they have the value of x added to them with x being any even number, they would always be positive or negative.

My question is: is this enough to prove that this set is countably infinite? If not, what do I need to do?

Hey JProgrammer! ;)

How about proving that $\mathbb Q$ is countably infinite to begin with?
So any subset would be countably infinite as well.

Have you heard of the "swan-walk"?
That is, we run through all fractions in the following order:
$$\frac 11, \frac 21, \frac 12, \frac 13, \frac 22, \frac 31, \frac 41, \frac 32, \frac 23, \frac 14, \frac 15, ...$$
This is the swan walk. Its meaning will be apparent if we visualize it in X-Y coordinates.
It shows that we can iterate through all fractions in a countable fashion.
Put otherwise, we have a bijective function $\mathbb Z \to \mathbb Q$, proving that $\mathbb Q$ is countable... (Thinking)
 
  • #3
I like Serena said:
Hey JProgrammer! ;)

How about proving that $\mathbb Q$ is countably infinite to begin with?
So any subset would be countably infinite as well.

Have you heard of the "swan-walk"?
That is, we run through all fractions in the following order:
$$\frac 11, \frac 21, \frac 12, \frac 13, \frac 22, \frac 31, \frac 41, \frac 32, \frac 23, \frac 14, \frac 15, ...$$
This is the swan walk. Its meaning will be apparent if we visualize it in X-Y coordinates.
It shows that we can iterate through all fractions in a countable fashion.
Put otherwise, we have a bijective function $\mathbb Z \to \mathbb Q$, proving that $\mathbb Q$ is countable... (Thinking)

Thanks for your reply.

I have heard of this before, but I wasn't sure if it would work for this problem because a needs to be even and b needs to be odd. This would work for this problem?

Since this set has been proven to be countable, it needs to be proven to be infinite. How would I prove that?
 
  • #4
I like Serena said:
How about proving that $\mathbb Q$ is countably infinite to begin with?
So any subset would be countably infinite as well.
Well, this is an overstatement. (Smile)

JProgrammer said:
Since this set has been proven to be countable, it needs to be proven to be infinite. How would I prove that?
You need to find infinite number of different elements. This is not hard.
 
  • #5
"b odd" includes b= 1 so the set of all even integers is a subset.
 

FAQ: Is Adding Even Numbers to Fractions Enough to Prove Countable Infinity?

1) What is Countable Infinity?

Countable Infinity is a mathematical concept that refers to the infinite number of elements in a set that can be counted or enumerated using a specific rule or procedure.

2) How do you prove Countable Infinity?

To prove Countable Infinity, you must show that the set in question can be put into a one-to-one correspondence with the set of natural numbers (1, 2, 3, ...). This means that every element in the set can be assigned a unique natural number, and vice versa.

3) What is the difference between Countable and Uncountable Infinity?

Countable Infinity refers to sets that can be put into a one-to-one correspondence with the set of natural numbers, while Uncountable Infinity refers to sets that cannot be counted or enumerated using a specific rule or procedure.

4) Can you give an example of a set that can be proven to be Countably Infinite?

One example of a Countably Infinite set is the set of positive even numbers (2, 4, 6, ...). Each even number can be assigned a unique natural number (1, 2, 3, ...), making it a Countably Infinite set.

5) Why is it important to prove Countable Infinity?

Proving Countable Infinity is important because it helps us understand the nature of infinity and its relationship to other mathematical concepts. It also has practical applications in fields such as computer science, where it is used to analyze algorithms and data structures.

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