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Criticism of a proof of a contradiction in set theory (Was: Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail)

From Tristan Wibberley <tristan.wibberley+netnews2@alumni.manchester.ac.uk>
Newsgroups sci.logic, sci.math
Subject Criticism of a proof of a contradiction in set theory (Was: Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail)
Date 2026-03-24 21:44 +0000
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <10pv0kr$1cmht$3@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References (8 earlier) <10pop4h$brd4$1@solani.org> <10pr2g7$1gvg$1@dont-email.me> <10prmgr$dqm9$1@solani.org> <10pti86$sb40$1@dont-email.me> <10puonp$1araa$1@dont-email.me>

Cross-posted to 2 groups.

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On 24/03/2026 19:29, WM wrote:

> Here is the complete proof of a contradiction in set theory:
> 
> (1) Cantor's diagonal argument finds for every countable set of reals a
> real number not in that set.

For the definition of "real" in Cantor's argument. I think you need a
lot more for any definition I would accept. As far as I can see, when we
talk about reals (non-constructive foundationally) we really talk about
an(the?) extension of the rationals to (the smallest subsuming?)
continuum (if it exists See note A) rather than any constructive
definition, so I think you need to provide an argument--that doesn't
depend on Cantor's diagonal argument--that his construction of the reals
is such.

I expect sci.math readers can provide more insight into meaning and
terminology.

Note A: we seem to have decided it does exist because we autoexplicate
it with a constructive definition and mathematicians no longer believe
any older concept of the reals describes them except by luck (ie the
reals are what is constructed by their construction and are not what
they were before the construction was conventionally accepted).


> (2) According to Cantor's definition of countable set the set of nodes
> of the Binary Tree is countable.
> (3) If we map every node onto a path, then the mapped set of paths is
> countable.
> (4) For every n ∈ ℕ: I map the nth node on a path containing this node.

I'm not sure I understand your meaning as I'm expecting "to" instead of
"on".


> (5) Therefore every npode is covered by this set of paths. There does
> not exist a node which is not covered by these paths.
> (6) From the root to every level L(k) the Binary Tree is completely
> covered by this set of paths, for every k ∈ ℕ.
> (7) These paths represent the real numbers between 0 and 1.

What, all of them? Isn't it limited to some of the rationals being 1/2^m?


> (8) It is impossible to find a further real number between 0 and 1.
                                         ^^^^
even if you changed that to "rational" I don't think it would be true
and you provide no argument for the truth of (8).


-- 
Tristan Wibberley

The message body is Copyright (C) 2026 Tristan Wibberley except
citations and quotations noted. All Rights Reserved except that you may,
of course, cite it academically giving credit to me, distribute it
verbatim as part of a usenet system or its archives, and use it to
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of my opinions other than my opinion of my greatness and general
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any production AI system with it but you may train experimental AI that
will only be used for evaluation of the AI methods it implements.

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AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-03-20 16:41 +0100
  Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Tristan Wibberley <tristan.wibberley+netnews2@alumni.manchester.ac.uk> - 2026-03-20 19:06 +0000
    Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-03-20 22:57 +0100
  Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-03-21 11:42 +0200
    Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-03-21 13:47 +0100
      Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-03-22 11:13 +0200
        Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-03-22 14:00 +0100
          Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-03-23 11:52 +0200
            Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-03-23 16:33 +0100
              Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-03-24 10:33 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-03-24 20:29 +0100
                Criticism of a proof of a contradiction in set theory (Was: Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail) Tristan Wibberley <tristan.wibberley+netnews2@alumni.manchester.ac.uk> - 2026-03-24 21:44 +0000
                Re: Criticism of a proof of a contradiction in set theory (Was: Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail) Ross Finlayson <ross.a.finlayson@gmail.com> - 2026-03-24 19:31 -0700
                Re: Criticism of a proof of a contradiction in set theory (Was: Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail) Ross Finlayson <ross.a.finlayson@gmail.com> - 2026-03-24 19:32 -0700
                Re: Criticism of a proof of a contradiction in set theory (Was: Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail) Ross Finlayson <ross.a.finlayson@gmail.com> - 2026-03-24 20:07 -0700
                Re: Criticism of a proof of a contradiction in set theory (Was: Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail) Ross Finlayson <ross.a.finlayson@gmail.com> - 2026-03-25 14:04 -0700
                Re: Criticism of a proof of a contradiction in set theory (Was: Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail) Tristan Wibberley <tristan.wibberley+netnews2@alumni.manchester.ac.uk> - 2026-04-04 20:54 +0100
                Re: Criticism of a proof of a contradiction in set theory (Was: Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail) wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-03-25 18:17 +0100
                Re: Criticism of a proof of a contradiction in set theory (Was: Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail) Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> - 2026-03-25 17:55 +0000
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-03-25 10:44 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-03-25 18:31 +0100
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-03-26 10:18 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-03-26 17:21 +0100
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-03-27 11:52 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-03-27 19:04 +0100
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-03-28 11:20 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-03-28 17:03 +0100
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-03-29 12:02 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-03-29 14:44 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-03-30 11:49 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-03-30 12:39 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-03-31 12:33 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-03-29 16:45 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-03-30 11:58 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-03-30 12:38 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-03-31 12:51 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-03-31 18:34 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-01 11:12 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-01 13:59 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-02 10:35 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-02 20:29 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-03 10:10 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-04 17:54 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-05 10:22 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-05 17:15 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-06 11:12 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-06 19:55 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-07 11:07 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-07 16:07 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-08 10:14 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-08 12:51 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-09 12:35 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-09 17:44 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-10 11:01 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-10 13:01 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-11 10:54 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-11 17:05 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-12 12:49 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-12 13:50 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-13 10:16 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-13 12:54 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-14 09:16 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-14 20:38 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-15 10:18 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-15 16:20 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-16 11:41 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-16 16:26 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-17 10:08 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-17 15:10 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-18 12:52 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-18 14:40 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-19 12:55 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-19 12:55 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-20 12:34 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-20 13:21 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-21 10:25 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-21 12:46 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Jeff Barnett <jbb@notatt.com> - 2026-04-17 01:13 -0600
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-17 15:21 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Carlo XYZ <carloxyz@invalid.invalid> - 2026-04-06 08:26 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-04 17:58 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-05 10:28 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-05 17:20 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-06 11:22 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-06 20:03 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-07 11:11 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-07 17:07 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-08 10:20 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-08 12:56 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-09 12:40 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-09 17:46 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-10 11:07 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-10 13:03 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-11 11:00 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-11 17:10 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-12 13:02 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-12 13:55 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-13 10:28 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail wm <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-13 12:59 +0200
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail Mikko <mikko.levanto@iki.fi> - 2026-04-14 09:24 +0300
                Re: AI understands where 99 % of mathematicians fail WM <wolfgang.mueckenheim@tha.de> - 2026-04-14 20:45 +0200

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