How many subsets are in {∅} and {0}?

  • Thread starter Thread starter angela107
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Subsets
Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
4 replies · 3K views
angela107
Messages
35
Reaction score
2
Homework Statement
n/a
Relevant Equations
n/a
For ##{∅}##, I've come to the conclusion that there is only one subset because it has the empty set and itself as subsets. In this case, there are the same thing.

For ##{0}##, there should be two subsets; the empty set and the set itself.

Am I right?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
##\{\emptyset\}## has ##\emptyset## and ##\{\emptyset\}## as subsets and they are not equal. So you are not correct.
 
  • Informative
Likes   Reactions: etotheipi
Math_QED said:
##\{\emptyset\}## has ##\emptyset## and ##\{\emptyset\}## as subsets and they are not equal. So you are not correct.
I see. There are two subsets; ##∅##, and the subset itself.
 
angela107 said:
I see. There are two subsets; ##∅##, and the subset itself.
This is an example where you must think logically rather than practically. There is a difference between "the empty set", denoted by ##\emptyset## and "the set containing the empty set as the only element", denoted by ##\{\emptyset \}##.

A non-mathematician might claim that in both cases you have precisely nothing. But, mathematically, they are not the same thing.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: SammyS, Amrator and etotheipi
In both cases you hve a set with one element, hence there are two subsets, the subset containing that element and the one not containing it. It does not matter what the element is.