Does there exist a set $\{ \Omega\mid \aleph_0<{\rm card}(\Omega)<2^{\aleph_0} \}$

set-theory

I am a beginner in set theory, so if this question is strange, I apologise. As well known, from the consequence about the continuum hypothesis it is provable in ZFC that "If ${\rm Con(ZFC)}$, then it is independent of ZFC that whether there exists a set $\Omega%$ satisfying $\aleph_0<{\rm card}(\Omega)<2^{\aleph_0}$." In other words, there are both models of ZFC where there exists a set $\Omega%$ satisfying $\aleph_0<{\rm card}(\Omega)<2^{\aleph_0}$ and models where there does not exist a set $\Omega%$ satisfying it. On this basis, when I think about a set $\{ \Omega \mid \aleph_0<{\rm card}(\Omega)<2^{\aleph_0} \}$, it goes over my head. As I understand it the following statements are provable in ZFC, e.g. there exists this set, (if ZFC is consistent then) the statement that the cardinality of this set is not $0$ is independent of ZFC, and the cardinality of this set is greater than or equal to $0$. Is this correct? I'd appreciate if you could answer the question.

Best Answer

In a model of ZF(C) where the continuum hypothesis holds, the class $\{ \Omega \mid \aleph_0 < card(\Omega) < 2^{\aleph_0} \}$ is empty. Hence it is a set, namely the empty set.

On the other hand, in a model of ZF(C) where the continuum hypothesis does not hold (i.e. where it is false), the class $C := \{ \Omega \mid \aleph_0 < card(\Omega) < 2^{\aleph_0} \}$ is not empty. But now we can show that it is a proper class (as mentioned by Michael Carey in the comments). So $C$ is not a set in this case.

As a proof, I claim that if $C$ is non-empty, then $\bigcup C$ is the class of all sets. Let $x$ be any set and $y \in C$ (which exists by non-emptyness of $C$). If $x \in y$ then we are done, as $x \in \bigcup C$ follows directly. Otherwise $x \notin y$. Because $\aleph_0 < card(y)$, there must be some $z \in y$. Define $w := (y \setminus \{z\}) \cup \{x\}$. We can find a bijection between $y$ and $w$ by taking the identity on $y \setminus \{z\}$ and mapping $z \mapsto x$. Therefore $card(w)=card(y)$ and $w \in C$. By construction $x \in w$ so we obtain $x \in \bigcup C$ as claimed.

The same proof that $C$ is a proper class works, whenever $C$ is a non-empty class only defined in terms of the cardinality of its elements.

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