Will anyone be able to solve this math problem in the comments by closing time?
18
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แน€350
resolved Apr 1
Resolved
YES

Just a simple problem, shouldn't be too hard:

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bought แน€60 of YES

Define the predicate ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™€๏ธ as the predicate defining ๐Ÿ•. To be precise, ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™€๏ธ(๐Ÿง€) means

"for any set ๐ŸŒ, if โˆ… โˆˆ ๐ŸŒ and (for all ๐Ÿง โˆˆ ๐ŸŒ we have ๐Ÿง โˆช {๐Ÿง} โˆˆ ๐ŸŒ), then ๐Ÿง€ โŠ† ๐ŸŒ".

By the problem statement, we are given that ๐Ÿ• is the unique set such that ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™€๏ธ(๐Ÿ•).

Claim 1: for any set ๐Ÿง€ such that ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™€๏ธ(๐Ÿง€), we can conclude that ๐Ÿ• = ๐Ÿง€. This follows from the given that that ๐Ÿ• is assumed to be unique such set.

Claim 2: ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™€๏ธ(โˆ…). For any set ๐ŸŒ satisfying the two properties, we have โˆ… โŠ† ๐ŸŒ, since โˆ… is a subset of any other set

Claim 3: ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™€๏ธ({โˆ…}). For any set ๐ŸŒ satisfying the two properties, we have โˆ… โˆˆ ๐ŸŒ, therefore {โˆ…} โŠ† ๐ŸŒ.

From Claim 1 & 2 we obtain ๐Ÿ• = โˆ…. From claim 1 & 3 we obtain ๐Ÿ• = {โˆ…}. Therfore, โˆ… = {โˆ…}.

This is false, so we derive at a contradiction.

From a contradiction we can prove anything, in particular that there is no set ๐ŸŒญ such that |๐Ÿ•| < |๐ŸŒญ| < |๐Ÿ”|.

The problem is that there is a mistake in the characterization of ๐Ÿ•, which is supposed to represent the natural numbers. It is given that it is a unique set satisfying a particular property, but actually every subset of natural numbers satisfies this property. So the assumption that ๐Ÿ• is unique is false, and from a given statement that is false we can prove anything.

predicted NO

@FlorisvanDoorn Yes, I see I forgot to specify that ๐Ÿ• also has to satisfy the banana property.

bought แน€20 of YES

@JosephNoonan Yes, that would have fixed it.

predicted NO

@FlorisvanDoorn Man, math with emojis as variables is greatly underrated.

bought แน€10 of YES

Can I assume that the problem statement is exactly what is written in the current image (copied below)?

Define โค๏ธ(๐ŸŽ) = { ๐Ÿ˜Ž | ๐Ÿ˜Ž โŠ† ๐ŸŽ }

Let ๐Ÿ• be the unique set such that, if {} โˆˆ ๐ŸŒ and ๐Ÿง โˆˆ ๐ŸŒ โ†’ ๐Ÿง โˆช {๐Ÿง} โˆˆ ๐ŸŒ for all sets ๐Ÿง, then ๐Ÿ• โŠ† ๐ŸŒ, and let ๐Ÿ” = โค๏ธ(๐Ÿ•).

Prove that there is no set ๐ŸŒญ such that |๐Ÿ•| < |๐ŸŒญ| < |๐Ÿ”|.

predicted NO

This market is surprisingly bullish on someone finding the solution to the Continuum Hypothesis.

bought แน€30 of YES

@JosephNoonan Dangit I had a feeling this would be a well-known unsolved provlem ๐Ÿคฃ

bought แน€10 of NO

@AshleyDavies Even worse, an unsolvable problem

@JosephNoonan My several pages of scribbling feel vindicated. Itโ€™s tantalisingly solvable-looking to my 4-years-recessed-from-set-theory eyes ๐Ÿ˜„

@JosephNoonan You find it โ€œsurprisingโ€ that people believed you when you said โ€œJust a simple problem, shouldn't be too hardโ€?

@JosephNoonan I think there is a typo, ๐ŸŒ โŠ† ๐Ÿ• instead of ๐Ÿ• โŠ† ๐ŸŒ

predicted NO

@fejfo You're right, I fixed the image.