Is the Range of a Countable Function also Countable?

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SUMMARY

The discussion confirms that if the domain of a function is countable, then its range is also countable. It further establishes that the Cartesian product of two countable sets, A and B, is countable. This is demonstrated by representing a function as a set of pairs (x, y) and counting the elements of the domain to account for the range. The discussion emphasizes the importance of labeling elements in A and B to illustrate the countability of their Cartesian product, specifically referencing the countability of the integer grid points in the plane.

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If the domain of a function is countable, then is its range also countable?

also

if A is countable and B is countable is A(cartersian product)B countable?
 
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Noxide said:
If the domain of a function is countable, then is its range also countable?

also

if A is countable and B is countable is A(cartersian product)B countable?

Both are true. A function is a set of pairs (x,y) where x belongs to the domain, and y to the range. For each element x in the domain the associated pair (x,y) occurs only once in the function, so by counting the elements of the domain, you are counting all elements of the range (possible more than once).

To show that AxB is countable, you can define a way of counting each pair. By labeling the elements of A and B, do you see how this amounts to showing that [tex]\mathbb{Z} \times \mathbb{Z}[/tex] is countable? In other words, the integer gridpoints of the plane must be counted. Can you find an intuitive way of doing so?
 

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