What Is the Difference Between Countable Infinity and Uncountable Infinity? [Closed]

What Is the Difference Between Countable Infinity and Uncountable Infinity? [Closed]
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What is the difference between countable infinity and uncountable infinity? Are there any examples? How can I imagine it? Can you offer some assistance? please.

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3 Answers

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Intuitively speaking, if $A$ is countable, you have a way to list out the items in $A$. If $A$ is uncountable, you will not have such ways, and if you try to make a list of $A$, the list must have some elements missing(between the elements in the list).

You can take $\mathbb Q$ and $\mathbb R$ for corresponding examples.

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A denumerable set is in one-to-one correspondence with the set of natural numbers. Such sets may also be called countably infinite, see

Such a set has the form $A = \{a_0,a_1,a_2,\ldots\}$ and so can be tabulated by the natural numbers (indices). Examples are the natural numbers, the even or odd natural numbers, the integers and the rational numbers.

Basic non-denumerable sets are the real numbers or the power set of the set of natural numbers which are equipotent.

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For a finite set $A$ the size of $A$ or $card(A)$ is the number of elements in $A$. Now, what's the size of infinite sets? Or first: what's the definition of infinite set?
A set $A$ is infinite if there exist a $1-1$ and onto map $f:A\to B \varsubsetneqq A$!
Since we cannot set a number as size of an infinite set, instead we use $card(A)$ as size of set $A$; and we can compare cardinality of sets. We say $card(A)=card(B)$ if and only if there exist a $1-1$ map $f$ such that $f:A\to B$
In many cases finding such mapping is extremely hard. so instead we use this theorem:
$card(A)=card(B)$ if and only if there exist two $1-1$ maps $f$ and $g$ such that $f:A\to B$ and $g:B\to A$. Intuition of $f$ and $g$ is (sort of) $A\subseteq B$ and $B\subseteq A$. In many cases finding such mappings is so easy.
Now, an infinite set $A$ is countable infinite if $card(A)=card(\mathbb{N})$ else it is uncountable infinite.
As some examples, $\mathbb{N,Z,Q}$ are countable infinite and $\mathbb{R},\mathbb{C}, \mathbb{R}^n, P(\mathbb{R})$(powerset) are uncountable infinite.
For a countable infinite set $A$, let $f:A\to \mathbb{N}$ be $1-1$ and onto, so we can write elements of $A$ as $\{a_1=f^{-1}(1),a_2=f^{-1}(2),...\}$ so intuitively we can count elements of $A$ exactly like $\mathbb{N}$ as first element, second element and so on.
But for sets like $\mathbb{R}$ we can't count elements like $\mathbb{N}$, witch means $card(\mathbb{R})$ is much greater than $card(\mathbb{N})$.

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David Miller
Author

David Miller

David Miller brings 15 years of experience in global economics, personal finance strategy, and market dynamics. He specializes in turning complex economic trends into actionable insights for everyday readers.