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Single Idea 13653

[filed under theme 4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 6. Ordering in Sets ]

Full Idea

A 'well-ordering' of a set X is an irreflexive, transitive, and binary relation on X in which every non-empty subset of X has a least element.

Gist of Idea

'Well-ordering' of a set is an irreflexive, transitive, and binary relation with a least element

Source

Stewart Shapiro (Foundations without Foundationalism [1991], 5.1.3)

Book Ref

Shapiro,Stewart: 'Foundations without Foundationalism' [OUP 1991], p.106


A Reaction

So there is a beginning, an ongoing sequence, and no retracing of steps.


The 10 ideas with the same theme [ordered sets, and using sets to describe orderings]:

Order rests on 'between' and 'separation' [Russell]
Order depends on transitive asymmetrical relations [Russell]
The ordered pair <x,y> is defined as the set {{x},{x,y}}, capturing function, not meaning [Gupta]
'Well-ordering' must have a least member, so it does the natural numbers but not the integers [Hart,WD]
A 'partial ordering' is irreflexive and transitive; the sets are ordered, but not the subsets [Hart,WD]
A partial ordering becomes 'total' if any two members of its field are comparable [Hart,WD]
Von Neumann defines α<β as α∈β [Hart,WD]
'Well-ordering' of a set is an irreflexive, transitive, and binary relation with a least element [Shapiro]
A collection is 'well-ordered' if there is a least element, and all of its successors can be identified [Lavine]
Ordinals play the central role in set theory, providing the model of well-ordering [Walicki]