Property of $\mathbb{N}$: If $n,m\in \mathbb{N}$ with $n>m$ then $n-m\in \mathbb{N}$

inductionnatural numbers

I am reading the book of V.A.Zorich "Mathematical analysis" and trying to follow the formal construction of natural numbers and its properties:

Definition 1: The set $X\subset \mathbb{R}$ is called inductive, if for any $x\in R$ the element $x+1
\in \mathbb{R}$
.

Definition 2: The set of natural numbers is defined as the minimal inductive set containing $1$, i.e. $$\mathbb{N}:=\bigcap_{A\in \mathcal A}A,$$ where $\mathcal A$ is the family of all inductive sets containing $1$ and we see that $\mathcal A\neq \varnothing$ because $\mathbb{R}\in \mathcal A$.

Principle of Mathematical Induction: If $E\subset \mathbb{N}$ with $1\in E$ and $\forall x\in E (x+1\in E)$ then $E=\mathbb{N}$.

Properties of $\mathbb{N}$:

  1. If $m,n \in \mathbb{N}$ then $m+n\in \mathbb{N}$ and $mn\in \mathbb{N}$.

  2. $(n\in \mathbb{N}) \land (n\neq 1) \Rightarrow ((n-1)\in \mathbb{N}).$

  3. For any $N\in \mathbb{N}$ the set $\{x\in \mathbb{N}\mid n<x\}$ has the minimal elements and $$\min \{x\in \mathbb{N}\mid n<x\}=n+1.$$

  4. $(m\in \mathbb{N})\land (n\in \mathbb{N}) \land (n<m) \Rightarrow (n+1\leq m).$

  5. If $n\in \mathbb{N}$ then there is no $x\in \mathbb{N}$ such that $n<x<n+1$.

  6. If $n\in \mathbb{N}$ with $n\neq 1$ then there is no $x\in \mathbb{N}$ such that $n-1<x<n$.

  7. If $M\subset \mathbb{N}$ and $M\neq \varnothing$ then $\exists \min M$.

I was wondering how to prove the following fact:

If $n,m\in \mathbb{N}$ with $n>m$ then $n-m\in \mathbb{N}$

Best Answer

If $n=1$, then this is trivally true, since there is no $m\in\Bbb N$ such that $m<n$.

Now, take $n\in\Bbb N$ and suppose that, for each $m\in\Bbb N$, if $m<n$, then $n-m\in\Bbb N$. Then you want to prove that, if $m\in\Bbb N$ and $m<n+1$, then $n+1-m\in\Bbb N$. If $m=1$, it is clearly true, since $n+1-1=n\in\Bbb N$. Otherwise, $n+1-m=n-(m-1)$ and, by the induction hypothesis, and since $m-1<n$, $n-(m-1)\in\Bbb N$.

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