Able to define definable

Calculus Level 4

A definable number is a real number a a such that, given a formula in the language of set theory φ \varphi , φ ( a ) \varphi(a) is true. Thus, definable numbers include constants like 0 , 1 , e , π 0, 1, e, \pi and so on.

What is the Lebesgue measure of the set of all definable numbers in the interval ( 0 , 1 ) (0,1) ?


The answer is 0E-17.

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1 solution

Jake Lai
Feb 24, 2015

Since the set of all formulas (finite strings) in ZFC is a countable set, so is the set of all definable numbers.

Oky, why does that give 0e-17?

Agnishom Chattopadhyay - 6 years, 3 months ago

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I wanted it to be a decimal-looking input but I guess it doesn't work when the input is 0 itself.

Jake Lai - 6 years, 3 months ago

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It does. Can you prove that there are some numbers which are not definable?

Agnishom Chattopadhyay - 6 years, 3 months ago

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@Agnishom Chattopadhyay Best proof skech I can think of is "definitions (general or otherwise), because they are finite formulas, cannot form a bijection to the reals".

Jake Lai - 6 years, 3 months ago

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@Jake Lai What does a Leb Measure mean?

Agnishom Chattopadhyay - 6 years, 3 months ago

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@Agnishom Chattopadhyay You should read up on measure theory and real analysis then.

In classical Euclidean geometry, length is a fundamental property of space. However, by moving from Euclidean geometry to analytic geometry in R n \mathbb{R}^{n} , you no longer have length as a fundamental concept. For example, ( 0 , 1 ) = ( 0 , 2 ) = 2 0 |(0,1)| = |(0,2)| = 2^{\aleph_0} ; however, they clearly have different "lengths". Thus, the Lebesgue measure of a set arises as a way to define length, area, volume, etc in R n \mathbb{R}^{n} . It finds use in being the main ingredient in creating the Lebesgue integral, a more powerful tool than the regular Riemann sum.

Jake Lai - 6 years, 3 months ago

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