INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY DELHI

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS
SEMESTER I, 2022 − 23
MTL 180 (DISCRETE MATHEMATICAL STRUCTURES)
TUTORIAL SHEET 5

Instructor: Biplab Basak Date: 08/09/2022

Countability and Cardinality

Problem 1: Prove that if A is countable but B is not, then B − A is uncountable.

Problem 2: What is the cardinality of the following sets:

(a) the set of all functions f : {0, 1} → N.

(b) the set of all functions f : N → {0, 1}.

Problem 3: Prove that if X is a countably infinite set and x ∈ X then |X| = |X − x|..

Problem 4: Prove that if X is a countable set then |R ∪ X| = |R|.

Problem 5: Prove that the set of all circles in R2 with center p = (x, y) and radius r, such
that r > 0 is a positive rational number and x, y ∈ Z, is countable.

Problem 6: Let B ⊆ A and there is an injection f : A → B. What can you say about the
cardinality of A and B?

Problem 7: Prove that a set X is infinite if and only if there is a map f : X → X which
is one-one but not onto.

Problem 8: Prove that the set of all “words” (finite string of letters in alphabet) is
countable.

Problem 9: Let N be the set of natural numbers. A function f : N → {0, 1} is said to be

periodic if there exists some N such that f (n + N ) = f (n), for all n ∈ N. Show that the
set of periodic functions is countable.

Problem 10: State true/false for the following statements:

(a) If A = ∪∞
i=1 Ai is countably infinite then at least one Ai is infinite.

(b) If A = ∩ni=1 Ai is countable for some n ≥ 2 then at least one Ai is countable.