How do you prove a set is empty when there is no element to choose, and why does assuming one exists help?
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Disjoint sets
State the definition that and are disjoint provided , and sketch the Venn diagram with showing and disjoint.
Strategy for proving
Write the contrapositive outline (assume , prove ) and the contradiction outline (assume and ), noting that both give an element of to work with.
if and only if
Write out both directions: the forward one via its contrapositive starting from , the reverse one by choosing and ruling out .
Worked example and element-chasing proofs
Prove and are disjoint by contradiction through , and define the term element-chasing proof.