Showing two certain sets have no elements in common

In summary, x+r1-y-r2 is irrational and 0 is not irrational, so A and B cannot contain the same elements.
  • #1
k3k3
78
0

Homework Statement


Let x and y be irrational numbers such that x-y is also irrational.
Let A={x+r|r is in Q} and B={y+r|r is in Q}
Prove that the sets A and B have no elements in common.

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



Since x and y are in A and B, then x+r[itex]_{1}[/itex]-y-r[itex]_{2}[/itex] is irrational.

Using contradiction, assume their sum is z and z is an element of A[itex]\cap[/itex]B

x-y=z

Then x+r[itex]_{1}[/itex]-y-r[itex]_{2}[/itex]=z

Since z is in both A and B, then z can also be said to be x+r[itex]_{1}[/itex]+y+r[itex]_{2}[/itex]

Then x+r[itex]_{1}[/itex]-y-r[itex]_{2}[/itex]=x+r[itex]_{1}[/itex]+y+r[itex]_{2}[/itex]

Solving for the right side,

0=2(y+r[itex]_{2}[/itex])

But since the sum is irrational and 0 is not irrational, A and B cannot contain the same elements.


Am I thinking about this correctly?
 
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  • #2
k3k3 said:

Homework Statement


Let x and y be irrational numbers such that x-y is also irrational.
Let A={x+r|r is in Q} and B={y+r|r is in Q}
Prove that the sets A and B have no elements in common.

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



Since x and y are in A and B, then x+r[itex]_{1}[/itex]-y-r[itex]_{2}[/itex] is irrational.
x and y are NOT in A and B, [itex]x+ r_1[/itex] and [itex]y+ r_2[/itex] are. And, from that, it follows that they are rational numbers so the difference is rational, not irrational.

Using contradiction, assume their sum is z and z is an element of A[itex]\cap[/itex]B

x-y=z

Then x+r[itex]_{1}[/itex]-y-r[itex]_{2}[/itex]=z

Since z is in both A and B, then z can also be said to be x+r[itex]_{1}[/itex]+y+r[itex]_{2}[/itex]

Then x+r[itex]_{1}[/itex]-y-r[itex]_{2}[/itex]=x+r[itex]_{1}[/itex]+y+r[itex]_{2}[/itex]

Solving for the right side,

0=2(y+r[itex]_{2}[/itex])

But since the sum is irrational and 0 is not irrational, A and B cannot contain the same elements.


Am I thinking about this correctly?
 
  • #3
k3k3 said:

Homework Statement


Let x and y be irrational numbers such that x-y is also irrational.
Let A={x+r|r is in Q} and B={y+r|r is in Q}
Prove that the sets A and B have no elements in common.

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



Since x and y are in A and B, then x+r[itex]_{1}[/itex]-y-r[itex]_{2}[/itex] is irrational.

Using contradiction, assume their sum is z and z is an element of A[itex]\cap[/itex]B

x-y=z

Then x+r[itex]_{1}[/itex]-y-r[itex]_{2}[/itex]=z

Since z is in both A and B, then z can also be said to be x+r[itex]_{1}[/itex]+y+r[itex]_{2}[/itex]

Then x+r[itex]_{1}[/itex]-y-r[itex]_{2}[/itex]=x+r[itex]_{1}[/itex]+y+r[itex]_{2}[/itex]

Solving for the right side,

0=2(y+r[itex]_{2}[/itex])

But since the sum is irrational and 0 is not irrational, A and B cannot contain the same elements.


Am I thinking about this correctly?

No, if z is in both A and B, then z=x+r1=y+r2; then you take the subtraction ...
 
  • #4
Did I show that x+r1-(y+r2)=x+r1-(y+r2)?
 

1. How can I prove that two sets have no elements in common?

To prove that two sets have no elements in common, you can use the method of contradiction. Assume that the two sets have at least one element in common, and then show that this assumption leads to a contradiction. This will prove that the sets have no elements in common.

2. What is the notation for showing that two sets have no elements in common?

The notation for showing that two sets have no elements in common is A ∩ B = ∅, where A and B are the two sets in question and ∅ represents the empty set.

3. Can two sets with no elements in common have the same cardinality?

Yes, two sets with no elements in common can have the same cardinality. For example, the set of even numbers and the set of odd numbers both have an infinite number of elements, but they have no elements in common.

4. Is it possible for two sets to have no elements in common if one set is a subset of the other?

No, if one set is a subset of the other, then they must have at least one element in common. This is because a subset contains all of the elements of the larger set, so there will always be at least one element in common between the two sets.

5. Can you provide an example of two sets with no elements in common?

One example of two sets with no elements in common is the set of prime numbers and the set of perfect squares. The set of prime numbers contains only numbers that can only be divided by 1 and itself, while the set of perfect squares contains numbers that are the result of multiplying a number by itself. These two sets have no elements in common.

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