Now, to say that a lot of objects is finite, is the same as to say that if we pass through the class from one to another we shall necessarily come round to one of those individuals already passed; that is, if every one of the lot is in any one-to-one relation to one of the lot, then to every one of the lot some one is in this same relation.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Defines finiteness using self-reference or recursive relations.
- In plain terms
- A group is finite if you can count through it and eventually loop back or pair everyone up uniquely.
- What can you take from it?
- Mathematical definitions can rely on logical relationships rather than counting.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do we define limits logically?
- What does it mean to loop back?
Another view
This definition assumes the ability to traverse the set.
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