Resolve this paradox involving Cantor’s diagonal argument

elementary-set-theoryinfinityparadoxessequences-and-series

Let's define the elements of a countable infinite set of numbers as follows:

$$s_1 = 0.0000000…$$
$$s_2 = 0.1000000…$$
$$s_3 = 0.1100000…$$
$$s_4 = 0.1110000…$$
$$s_5 = 0.1111000…$$
$$…$$

Using Cantor's diagonal argument, it should be possible to construct a number outside this set by choosing for each digit of the decimal expansion a digit that differs from the underlined digits below (a "diagonal"):

$$s_1 = 0.\underline{0}000000…$$
$$s_2 = 0.1\underline{0}00000…$$
$$s_3 = 0.11\underline{0}0000…$$
$$s_4 = 0.111\underline{0}000…$$
$$s_5 = 0.1111\underline{0}00…$$
$$…$$

The choice of a particular number for these digits should be arbitrary, as long as they are different than the underlined digit at each step. As all numbers of the diagonal are 0, let's choose 1 for all of them. Thus, Cantor's diagonal argument produces this number, that in theory should be outside this set:

$$C = 0.111111..$$

The paradox is that this number looks very much like it is inside the set! In fact, no matter how far you go down the sequence, the partial Cantor diagonal number that you are constructing up to that point corresponds to exactly the next member of the set!

How can you solve this paradox?

Best Answer

No, it is not in the set. Your set is$$\left\{\frac1{10},\frac{11}{100},\frac{111}{1\,000},\cdots\right\}$$and the number that you get is $\frac19$, which does not belong to it.

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