Cardinality of $F\times\Bbb N$

117 Views Asked by At

Suppose $F$ is an infinite set (that is $\#F\geq\#\mathbb N$). Various sources I have consulted claim that $$\# F=\# (F\times\mathbb N)$$ without proof (# denotes cardinality). I guess that this is so trivial that it should be immediate, yet I can't see it.

Obviously, $\# (F\times\mathbb N)\geq\#F$, because the function $(f,n)\mapsto f$ from $F\times\mathbb N$ to $F$ is clearly a surjection, but I can't prove the other direction, that $\#(F\times\mathbb N)\leq\#F$ (only in the particular case when $F$ is countable, i.e., $\#F=\#\mathbb N$). Once I could show this, the desired result would follow from the Schröder–Bernstein theorem.

Any help would be appreciated.

1

There are 1 best solutions below

10
On BEST ANSWER

You can't really prove this "outright", because the axiom of choice is necessary for establishing this result.

HINT: Assuming the axiom of choice, we have that $\#F=\#(F\times F)$, and that $F$ is infinite is the same as saying as $\#F\geq\#\Bbb N$.