[Math] Ordered Pairs and Set Theory

elementary-set-theory

So, first of all I'm gonna start with stating that I'm a complete noob in mathematics that started doing this as a hobby. I encounter problems that I can't figure out on a regular basis, like a few times per page but I usually find someone to help me. This time those same people were of no help so I came here.

We have an ordered pair $(a,b)$, okay?

And if we wanted to show the world that ordered pair using set theory it would look like this: $\{\{a\},\{a,b\}\}$.

Yeah, I don't get that at all. As I've came to understand in the ordered pair order does matter. So how come it doesn't look like this when using set theory: $\{\{a\},\{b\}\}$? I know my question is probably retarded but this seems awfully confusing to me. How come the second coordinate can be either a or b? Logic makes me believe that my previous way of thinking can't be true and that I'm understanding it completely wrong. Can someone help me with this using simple language?

Improvements: Now I understand why $\{\{a\},\{b\}\}$ doesn't apply. Thanks for the first step helpers.

Best Answer

Two sets are equal if and only if they share the same elements. Thus there is no distinction between the sets $\{\{a\},\{b\}\}$ and $\{\{b\},\{a\}\}.$ That's why we need a different trick to create a mathematical object involving $a$ and $b$ in some particular order so that $(a,b)\neq(b,a)$ unless $a=b.$ The model $\{\{a\},\{a,b\}\}$ that you cite is the most common one but not the only possibility.

In fact the full requirement for our model is: $(a,b)=(c,d)$ if and only if $a=c$ AND $b=d.$ It is not difficult to verify that the model in your book satisfies that requirement, using the criterion that sets are equal if and only if they contain the same elements: let us show that equality of the ordered pairs implies equality of the corresponding elements.

If the sets $\{\{a\},\{a,b\}\}$ and $\{c\},\{c,d\}\}$ are identical then we must have

$$(\{a\}=\{c\}\hbox{ OR }\{a\}=\{c,d\})\hbox{ AND }(\{a,b\}=\{c\}\hbox{ OR }\{a,b\}=\{c,d\})$$

and

$$(\{c\}=\{a\}\hbox{ OR }\{c\}=\{a,b\})\hbox{ AND }(\{c,d\}=\{a\}\hbox{ OR }\{c,d\}=\{a,b\}).$$

The first two equalities imply that $c$ is an element of the singleton $\{a\},$ so their OR implies $a=c.$

The last two equalities on the first line imply that $b=c$ or $b=d.$

The last two equalities on the second line imply that $d=a$ or $b=d.$

So we either have $b=d$ or $d=a=c=b.$ In either case, $a=c$ and $b=d.$