Extensionality

The Axiom of Extensionality is sometimes know also as the Axiom of Extent or the Axiom of Extension.

∀z(z ∈ X ↔ z ∈ Y) → X = Y

If for all z, z is an element of X if and only if z is an element of Y, then X=Y.

We assume some set Z exists and it contains all the elements z. We call Z the universal set. Every element in X will be in Z and every element in Y will be in Z.

There may be elements in Z which are not in X, and therefore also not in Y.

To show this, we create a simple example:

X={2,4}

Y={2,4}

Z={1,2,3,4,5}

One key thing to notice, the if and only if for (x element of Z) and (y element of Z). This leaves open the door for there to be a z that is not in X and not in Y.

Appendix A

The textbook wrote it as:

∀z(z ∈ x ↔ z ∈ y) → x = y

We replaced x and y with X and Y because we recognize X and Y as being sets given their location to the right of \belongs. We will be on the lookout for some possible exclamation written later it says things aren’t quite as simply as how we currently believe them to be.