Metamath Proof Explorer


Theorem aleph0

Description: The first infinite cardinal number, discovered by Georg Cantor in 1873, has the same size as the set of natural numbers _om (and under our particular definition is also equal to it). In the literature, the argument of the aleph function is often written as a subscript, and the first aleph is written aleph_0. Exercise 3 of TakeutiZaring p. 91. Also Definition 12(i) of Suppes p. 228. From Moshé Machover,Set Theory, Logic, and Their Limitations, p. 95: "Aleph...the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet...is also the first letter of the Hebrew word...(_einsoph_, meaning infinity), which is a cabbalistic appellation of the deity. The notation is due to Cantor, who was deeply interested in mysticism." (Contributed by NM, 21-Oct-2003) (Revised by Mario Carneiro, 13-Sep-2013)

Ref Expression
Assertion aleph0
|- ( aleph ` (/) ) = _om

Proof

Step Hyp Ref Expression
1 df-aleph
 |-  aleph = rec ( har , _om )
2 1 fveq1i
 |-  ( aleph ` (/) ) = ( rec ( har , _om ) ` (/) )
3 omex
 |-  _om e. _V
4 3 rdg0
 |-  ( rec ( har , _om ) ` (/) ) = _om
5 2 4 eqtri
 |-  ( aleph ` (/) ) = _om