algebraic numbers are countable
Theorem.
The set of (a) all algebraic numbers, (b) the real algebraic numbers is countable
.
Proof. Let’s consider the algebraic equations
(1) |
where
is an irreducible (http://planetmath.org/IrreduciblePolynomial2) and primitive polynomial with integer coefficients and . Each algebraic number exactly one such equation (see the minimal polynomial). For every integer there exists a finite number of equations (1) such that
(e.g. if , then one has the equations and ) and thus only a finite set of algebraic numbers as the of these equations. These algebraic numbers may be ordered to a finite sequence
(http://planetmath.org/OrderedTuplet) using a system, for example by the magnitude of the real part
and the imaginary part. When one forms the concatenated sequence
it comprises all algebraic numbers in a countable setting, which defines a bijection from the set onto .
References
- 1 E. Kamke: Mengenlehre. Sammlung Göschen: Band 999/999a. – Walter de Gruyter & Co., Berlin (1962).