Difference between revisions of "Natural Numbers:Postulates"

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# If two numbers <math> n_1 </math> and <math> n_2 </math> have the same successor, then <math> n_1 = n_2 </math>.
 
# If two numbers <math> n_1 </math> and <math> n_2 </math> have the same successor, then <math> n_1 = n_2 </math>.
 
# If a set <math> S </math> contains 1, and also contains the successor of every element <math> n </math> in <math> S </math>, then every natural number is in <math> S </math>.
 
# If a set <math> S </math> contains 1, and also contains the successor of every element <math> n </math> in <math> S </math>, then every natural number is in <math> S </math>.
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These axioms are used to build the set of natural numbers <math> \N = \{1, 2, 3,..., n, n + 1,...\} </math>.

Revision as of 11:28, 1 October 2021

Peano's Axioms for the Natural Numbers

  1. 1 is a natural number.
  2. For every natural number , the successor to , (), is also a natural number.
  3. 1 is not a successor to any natural number.
  4. If two numbers and have the same successor, then .
  5. If a set contains 1, and also contains the successor of every element in , then every natural number is in .

These axioms are used to build the set of natural numbers .