Representants of equivalence classes in a proper class

axiom-of-choiceequivalence-relationsset-theory

Suppose that $\sim$ is an equivalence relation on a proper class $C$. Under what circumstances is it possible to proof the existence of a class $R$ of representatives (i.e., for all $x \in X$ there is a unique $r \in R$ such that $x \sim r$)?

If the equivalence classes are all sets, then the axiom of global choice yields such a class $R$ I think, but in all other cases, I don't know how to proceed.

Best Answer

There are two options:

  1. There is some $\alpha$ such that every $x\in X$ is equivalent to some $r\in V_\alpha$. In that case we normally treat $R$ as somehow having "set many equivalence classes" (e.g. algebraic field extensions or metric completions have these properties). Then you need only the axiom of choice for sets.

  2. There is no such $\alpha$. In that case, we use the same trick, Scott's trick. Define $[x]_\sim$ to be the elements of $C$ equivalent to $x$ which have the least possible rank. Namely, let $\alpha$ be the least such that for some $r\in V_\alpha$, $x\sim r$, and $[x]_\sim=\{r\in V_\alpha\mid x\sim r\}$.

    Now $\{[x]_\sim\mid x\in C\}$ is a class of sets, and the axiom of global choice can be applied.

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