Teichmüller–Tukey lemma
In mathematics, the Teichmüller–Tukey lemma (sometimes named just Tukey's lemma), named after John Tukey and Oswald Teichmüller, states that every nonempty collection of finite character has a maximal element with respect to inclusion. Over Zermelo–Fraenkel set theory, the Teichmüller–Tukey lemma is equivalent to the axiom of choice, and therefore to the well-ordering theorem, Zorn's lemma, and the Hausdorff maximal principle.[1]
Definitions
A family of sets is of finite character provided it has the following properties:
- For each , every finite subset of belongs to .
- If every finite subset of a given set belongs to , then belongs to .
Statement of the Lemma
Whenever is of finite character and , there is a maximal such that .[2]
Applications
In linear algebra, the lemma may be used to show the existence of a basis. Let V be a vector space. Consider the collection of linearly independent sets of vectors. This is a collection of finite character Thus, a maximal set exists, which must then span V and be a basis for V.
Notes
- ↑ Jech, Thomas J. (2008) [1973]. The Axiom of Choice. Dover Publications. ISBN 978-0-486-46624-8.
- ↑ Kunen, Kenneth (2009). The Foundations of Mathematics. College Publications. ISBN 978-1-904987-14-7.