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Part BCSIR NET December 2025restricting-digits-to-a-fixed-alphabet-is-a-cantor-set-argument-not-a-countability-argument

Restricting digits to a fixed alphabet is a cantor set argument not a countability argument

Let S be a subset of the open interval (0,1) that consists of all the real numbers α(0,1)\alpha \in (0,1) whose infinite decimal expansion α=0.a1a2a3\alpha = 0.a_{1}a_{2}a_{3}\cdots is such that aia_{i} \in {0,2,4} for all i ≥ 1. Which of the following statements is true?

  1. A.There is a bijective map from N\mathbb{N} to S.
  2. B.There is a surjective map from S onto (0,1).
  3. C.There is a bijective map from N\mathbb{N} to (0,1)§(0,1)\S.
  4. D.S is a countable set and (0,1)§(0,1)\S is uncountable.

You have the answer. Trap Analysis is why the other three were written.

Not a worked solution repeated four times — the specific reasoning error each wrong option was built to reward.

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More on this topic

The chapter behind this: Elements of set theory: operations, De Morgan and difference — free to read

From The Real LineElements of set theory: operations, De Morgan and difference

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