- #1
Jeroslaw
- 8
- 0
There is a bijection between the natural numbers (including 0) and the integers (positive, negative, 0). The bijection from N -> Z is n -> k if n = 2k OR n -> -k if n = 2k + 1.
For example, if n = 4, then k = 2 because 2(2) = 4. If n = 3, then k = -1 because 2(1) + 1 = 3.
My problem arises because if n = 1, then k = 0 and if n = 0, then k = 0. If n = 1, then 2(0) +1 = 1. If n = 0, then 2(0) = 0. If this function is inverted, then the element 0 in Z will map to both 0 and 1. That violates the assumption that the function is a bijection.
Of course, this is wrong. It implies that there are more natural numbers than integers, which cannot be since the natural numbers are a proper subset of the integers. The problem is that the 0 I derived from n = 1 should be negative, whereas the 0 from n = 0 should be positive, but these are equivalent in the case of 0. Anyone know how to resolve this?
For example, if n = 4, then k = 2 because 2(2) = 4. If n = 3, then k = -1 because 2(1) + 1 = 3.
My problem arises because if n = 1, then k = 0 and if n = 0, then k = 0. If n = 1, then 2(0) +1 = 1. If n = 0, then 2(0) = 0. If this function is inverted, then the element 0 in Z will map to both 0 and 1. That violates the assumption that the function is a bijection.
Of course, this is wrong. It implies that there are more natural numbers than integers, which cannot be since the natural numbers are a proper subset of the integers. The problem is that the 0 I derived from n = 1 should be negative, whereas the 0 from n = 0 should be positive, but these are equivalent in the case of 0. Anyone know how to resolve this?