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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"
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FACE=sans-serif>
<A HREF="../mm.html">Mirrors</A> >
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<HR SIZE=1 NOSHADE>
<FONT SIZE=-1><FONT COLOR="#006633">The aleph null above is the symbol
for the first infinite cardinal number, discovered by Georg Cantor in
1873 (see theorem </FONT> ~ aleph0 </FONT><FONT COLOR="#006633">).</FONT>
<HR NOSHADE SIZE=1>
<FONT SIZE=-1><FONT COLOR="#006633">
This is the starting page for the Metamath Proof Explorer subproject
(set.mm database).
See the main </FONT><A
HREF="../index.html">Metamath Home Page</A><FONT COLOR="#006633"> for
an overview of Metamath and download links.
If you wish to contribute your own proofs to the Metamath project, see
<A HREF="../index.html#contribute">How can I contribute to Metamath?</A>
</FONT></FONT>
<HR NOSHADE SIZE=1>
<TABLE BORDER=0 WIDTH="100%"><TR><TD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="50%">
<B><FONT COLOR="#006633">Contents of this page</FONT></B>
<MENU>
<LI> <A HREF="#overview">Metamath Proof Explorer
Overview</A></LI>
<LI> <A HREF="#proofs">How Metamath Proofs Work</A>
<!--
<FONT SIZE=-2 FACE="Comic Sans MS" COLOR=ORANGE>Revised</FONT> <FONT
SIZE=-1><I>23-Apr-2006</I></FONT>
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<!--
<FONT SIZE=-2 FACE="Comic Sans MS" COLOR=ORANGE>Added</FONT> <FONT
SIZE=-1><I>20-May-2003</I></FONT>
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</LI>
<LI> <A HREF="#axioms">The Axioms</A>
<FONT SIZE=-1>(<A HREF="#scaxioms">Propositional Calculus</A>,
<A HREF="#pcaxioms">Predicate Calculus</A>,
<A HREF="#staxioms">Set Theory</A>,
<A HREF="#groth">The Tarski-Grothendieck Axiom</A>)</FONT>
<!--
<FONT SIZE=-2 FACE="Comic Sans MS" COLOR=ORANGE>Revised </FONT> <FONT
SIZE=-1><I>22-June-2009 (the Tarski-Grothendieck Axiom)</I></FONT>
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</LI>
<LI> <A HREF="#class">The Theory of Classes</A>
<FONT SIZE=-2 FACE="Comic Sans MS" COLOR=ORANGE>Added</FONT> <FONT
SIZE=-1><I>13-Dec-2015</I></FONT>
</LI>
<LI> <A HREF="#theorems">A Theorem Sampler</A>
<!--
<FONT SIZE=-2 FACE="Comic Sans MS" COLOR=ORANGE>Revised</FONT> <FONT
SIZE=-1><I>19-May-2003</I></FONT>
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</LI>
<LI> <A HREF="#trivia">2 + 2 = 4 Trivia</A>
<FONT SIZE=-1>(<A HREF="#2p2e4length">more</A>
<FONT SIZE=-2 FACE="Comic Sans MS" COLOR=ORANGE>Added</FONT> <FONT
SIZE=-1><I>22-Dec-2018</I></FONT>)
</FONT>
</LI>
<LI> <A HREF="#axiomnote">Appendix 1: A Note on the Axioms</A>
<!--
<FONT SIZE=-2 FACE="Comic Sans MS" COLOR=ORANGE>Revised</FONT> <FONT
SIZE=-1><I>10-Jul-2015</I></FONT>
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</LI>
<LI> <A HREF="#traditional">Appendix 2: Traditional
Textbook Axioms of Predicate Calculus</A>
<!--
<FONT SIZE=-2 FACE="Comic Sans MS" COLOR=ORANGE>Revised</FONT> <FONT
SIZE=-1><I>6-Oct-2005</I></FONT>
-->
</LI>
<LI> <A HREF="#distinct">Appendix 3: Distinct Variables</A>
<FONT SIZE=-1>(<A HREF="#dv-history">History</A>,
<A HREF="#dv-notes">Notes</A>)</FONT>
<FONT SIZE=-2 FACE="Comic Sans MS" COLOR=ORANGE>Revised</FONT> <FONT
SIZE=-1><I>21-Dec-2016</I></FONT>
<!--
<FONT SIZE=-2 FACE="Comic Sans MS" COLOR=ORANGE>Revised</FONT> <FONT
SIZE=-1><I>16-Jun-2008 (added Note 4)</I></FONT>
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</LI>
<LI> <A HREF="#definitions">Appendix 4: A Note on Definitions</A>
<!--
<FONT SIZE=-2 FACE="Comic Sans MS" COLOR=ORANGE>Revised</FONT> <FONT
SIZE=-1><I>11-Nov-2014</I></FONT>
-->
</LI>
<LI> <A HREF="#assume">Appendix 5: How to Find Out What Axioms a Proof
Depends On</A></LI>
<LI> <A HREF="#function">Appendix 6: Notation for Function and Operation
Values</A></LI>
<LI> <A HREF="#subsys">Appendix 7: Some Predicate Calculus
Subsystems</A>
</LI>
<LI> <A HREF="#oldaxioms">Appendix 8: Axiom Numbering
Before December 2018</A>
<FONT SIZE=-2 FACE="Comic Sans MS" COLOR=ORANGE>Added</FONT> <FONT
SIZE=-1><I>26-Dec-2018</I></FONT>
</LI>
<LI> <A HREF="#read">Reading Suggestions</A>
<!--
<FONT SIZE=-2 FACE="Comic Sans MS" COLOR=ORANGE>Revised</FONT> <FONT
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<LI> <A HREF="#bib">Bibliography</A></LI>
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<B><FONT COLOR="#006633">Related pages</FONT></B>
<MENU>
<!--
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<FONT SIZE=-2 FACE="Comic Sans MS" COLOR=ORANGE>Added</FONT>
<FONT SIZE=-1><I>15-Jan-2017</I></FONT>
</LI>
<LI> <A HREF="mmbiblio.html">Bibliographic Cross-Reference</A> </LI>
<LI> <A HREF="mmdefinitions.html">Definition List (3MB)</A> </LI>
<LI>
<A HREF="mmnatded.html">Deduction Form and Natural Deduction</A>
<FONT SIZE=-2 FACE="Comic Sans MS" COLOR=ORANGE>Added</FONT>
<FONT SIZE=-1><I>7-Feb-2017</I></FONT>
<FONT SIZE=-1>(<A HREF="natded.html">Natural Deduction Rules</A>
<FONT SIZE=-2 FACE="Comic Sans MS" COLOR=ORANGE>Added</FONT>
<FONT SIZE=-1><I>9-Feb-2017</I></FONT>)</FONT>
<!--
<FONT SIZE=-2 FACE="Comic Sans MS" COLOR=ORANGE>Revised</FONT>
<FONT SIZE=-1><I>2-Mar-2008</I></FONT>
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<LI>
<A HREF="mmdeduction.html">Weak Deduction Theorem</A> (an older method)
</LI>
<LI>
<A HREF="mmcomplex.html">Real and Complex Numbers</A>
</LI>
<LI>
<A HREF="mmtopstr.html">Algebraic and Topological Structures</A>
<FONT SIZE=-2 FACE="Comic Sans MS" COLOR=ORANGE>Added</FONT>
<FONT SIZE=-1><I>24-Nov-2018</I></FONT>
</LI>
<LI>
<A HREF="mmzfcnd.html">ZFC Axioms With No Distinct Variables</A>
<!--
<FONT SIZE=-2 FACE="Comic Sans MS" COLOR=ORANGE>Revised</FONT> <FONT
SIZE=-1><I>12-Apr-2008</I></FONT>
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</LI>
<LI>
<A HREF="mmascii.html">ASCII Symbol Equivalents for Text-Only Browsers</A>
</LI>
<LI>
<A HREF="../index.html#contribute">How can I contribute to Metamath?</A>
</LI>
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<B><FONT COLOR="#006633">External links</FONT></B>
<MENU>
<LI>
<A HREF="https://github.com/metamath/set.mm">GitHub repository</A>
(contains the database as well as help on contributing)
</LI>
<!--
<LI>
<A HREF="http://math.vanderbilt.edu/~~schectex/ccc/choice.html">
A home page for THE AXIOM OF CHOICE</A>
[retrieved 21-Dec-2016] has some interesting set theory information.
</LI>
-->
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<FONT SIZE=-1><B><FONT COLOR="#006633">To search this site</FONT></B>
you can use <A HREF="http://www.google.com/">Google</A> [retrieved 21-Dec-2016]
restricted to a mirror site. For example, to find references to
infinity enter "infinity site:us.metamath.org".
<B><FONT COLOR="#006633">More efficient searching</FONT></B> <!-- for
particular symbols and patterns --> is possible with direct use of the <A
HREF="../index.html#mmprog">Metamath program</A>, once you get used to
its <A HREF="mmascii.html">ASCII tokens</A>. See the wildcard features
in "help search" and "help show statement".
</FONT></TD>
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<P><HR NOSHADE SIZE=1><A NAME="overview"></A><B><FONT
COLOR="#006633">Metamath Proof Explorer
Overview</FONT></B>
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<P><CENTER><FONT COLOR="#006633"><I>From <A HREF="pm54.43.html">this
proposition</A> it will follow, when arithmetical addition has been
defined, that 1+1=2.</I><BR> —<I>Principia Mathematica</I>, Volume
I, page 360.</FONT></CENTER>
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<P><CENTER><TABLE WIDTH="90%"><TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER> <TABLE BORDER=0
CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="#EEFFFA"><TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>
David A. Wheeler has prepared an excellent 14-minute YouTube video, <A
HREF="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WH4Rd4UKGE">Metamath Proof
Explorer: A Modern Principia Mathematica</A>, on the history of
formalization and the motivation for Metamath,
the proof of 2+2=4, and more. </TD></TR></TABLE>
</TD></TR></TABLE></CENTER>
<P>Inspired by Whitehead and Russell's monumental <I>Principia
Mathematica</I>, <!--(where 1+1=2 is finally proved on page 86 of Volume
II), --> the Metamath Proof Explorer has over 23,000 completely worked
out proofs, starting from the very foundation that mathematics is built
on and eventually arriving at familiar mathematical facts and beyond.
<!-- in logic and set theory. --> <!-- , interconnected with over a million
hyperlinked cross-references. --> Each proof is pieced together with
razor-sharp precision using a simple substitution rule that practically
anyone (with lots of patience) can follow, not just mathematicians. Every step
can be drilled down deeper and deeper into the labyrinth until axioms of
logic and set theory—the starting point for all of
mathematics—will ultimately be found at the bottom. You could
spend literally days exploring the astonishing tangle of logic leading,
say, from the seemingly mundane theorem <A HREF="#trivia">2+2=4</A> back
to these axioms.
<P>Essentially everything that is possible to know in mathematics can be
derived from a handful of axioms known as <I>Zermelo-Fraenkel set
theory,</I> which is the culmination of many years of effort to
isolate the essential nature of mathematics and is one of the most
profound achievements of mankind.
<P>The Metamath Proof Explorer starts with these axioms to build up its
proofs. There may be symbols that are unfamiliar to you, but we show in
detail how they are manipulated in the proofs, and in principle you
don't have to know what they mean. In fact, there is a philosophy
called <I>formalism</I> which says that mathematics is a game of symbols
with no intrinsic meaning. With that in mind, Metamath lets you watch
the game being played and the pieces manipulated according to simple and
precise rules, one step at a time. <!-- Amazingly, the rules - with which
essentially all of mathematics can be derived - are simpler than those
involved in a game of chess! -->
<P>As humans, we observe interesting patterns in these "meaningless"
symbol strings as they evolve from the axioms, and we attach meaning to
them. One result is the set of natural numbers, whose properties match
those we observe when we count everyday objects, and their extensions to
rational and real numbers. Of course, numbers were discovered centuries
before set theory, and historically they were "reversed engineered" back
to the axioms of set theory. The proof of <A HREF="#trivia">2 + 2 =
4</A> shows what was involved in that reverse engineering, representing
the work of many mathematicians from Dedekind to von Neumann. At the
other extreme of abstraction is the theory of infinite sets or
transfinite cardinal numbers. Some of the world's most brilliant
mathematicians have given us deep insight into this mysterious and
wondrous universe, which is sometimes called "Cantor's paradise."
<!-- At the other extreme of
abstraction is the theory of infinite sets or transfinite cardinal
numbers, sometimes called "Cantor's paradise." Some of the world's most
brilliant mathematicians have given us deep insight into this
mysterious and wondrous universe that, so far as we know, exists only in
the mind.
-->
<!--
paradise." Some of the world's most brilliant mathematicians have given
us deep insight into this mysterious and wondrous place that that
transcends the physical universe, giving us a glimpse into a higher
reality, perhaps even the mind of God.
-->
<P>Metamath's formal proofs are much more detailed than the proofs you
see in textbooks. They are broken down into the most explicit detail
possible so that you can see exactly what is going on. Each proof step
represents a microscopic increment towards the final goal. But each
step is derived from previous ones with a very simple rule, and you can
verify for yourself the correctness of any proof with very little skill.
All you need is patience. With no prior knowledge of advanced
mathematics or even any mathematics at all, you can jump into the middle
of any proof, from the most elementary to the most advanced, and
understand immediately how the symbols were mechanically manipulated to
go from one proof step to another, even if you don't know what the symbols
themselves mean. In the next section we show you how.
<P><HR NOSHADE SIZE=1><A NAME="proofs"></A><B><FONT COLOR="#006633">How
Metamath Proofs Work</FONT></B>
<P> <CENTER><FONT COLOR="#006633"><I>A mathematical theory is not to be
considered complete until you have made it so clear that you can explain
it to the first man whom you meet on the street.</I><BR> —David
Hilbert</FONT></CENTER> <P>
<!--
<P> <CENTER><FONT COLOR="#006633"><I>Thus mathematics may be defined as
the subject in which we never know what we are talking about, nor
whether what we are saying is true.</I><BR> —Bertrand
Russell</FONT></CENTER> <P>
<P> <CENTER><FONT COLOR="#006633"><I>The lyf so short, the craft so long
to lerne </I><BR> —Chaucer</FONT></CENTER> <P>
<P> <CENTER><FONT COLOR="#006633"><I>The ultimate goal of mathematics is
to eliminate any need for intelligent thought.</I><BR> —Alfred North
Whitehead </FONT></CENTER> <P>
<P> <CENTER><FONT COLOR="#006633"><I>...mathematical proofs, like
diamonds, are hard as well as clear, and will be touched with nothing
but strict reasoning. </I><BR> —John Locke, <I>Second Reply to the
Bishop of Worcester</I></FONT></CENTER> <P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<FONT COLOR="#006633" SIZE=-1> He was 40 yeares old before he
looked on Geometry; which happened accidentally. Being in a Gentleman's
Library, Euclid's Elements lay open, and 'twas the 47 <I>El. libri</I>
I. He read the Proposition. <I>By G__,</I> sayd he (he would now and
then sweare an emphaticall Oath by way of emphasis) <I>this is
impossible!</I> So he reads the Demonstration of it, which referred him
back to such a Proposition; which Proposition he read. That referred
him back to another, which he also read. <I>Et sic deinceps</I> that at
the last he was demonstratively convinced of that trueth. This made him
in love with Geometry.</FONT>
<CENTER><FONT COLOR="#006633" SIZE=-1>—John Aubrey, "A Brief Life of
Thomas Hobbes, 1588-1679" in
<I>Brief Lives</I> (c. 1694) </FONT></CENTER>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
-->
<P><CENTER><TABLE WIDTH="90%"><TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER> <TABLE BORDER=0
CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="#EEFFFA"><TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER><IMG
SRC="_nmegill.gif" WIDTH=16 HEIGHT=19
ALT="The Floating Head of Wisdom says: "
TITLE="The Floating Head of Wisdom says: ">
<FONT COLOR="#F7941D"> <B>Read this section
carefully to learn how to follow a Metamath proof.</B>
</FONT></TD></TR></TABLE></TD></TR></TABLE></CENTER>
<!---
<P><FONT SIZE="-1">[If you are a math novice (or not) and have trouble
understanding this section, <A HREF="../email.html">let me know</A> what
you find confusing so that I can try to improve it.
An important point sometimes misunderstood is
that Metamath is <I>not</I> a theorem prover—it does not
find these proofs on its own but just verifies the correctness of proofs
provided to it by its users.]</FONT>
-->
<P> <B><FONT COLOR="#006633">What you need to
know</FONT></B> The only rule you need to know in
order to follow the symbol manipulations
in a Metamath proof is <B>substitution</B>. Substitution
consists of replacing the symbols for variables with expressions
representing special cases of those variables. For example, in
high-school algebra you learned that <I>a</I> + <I>b</I> = <I>b</I> +
<I>a</I>, where <I>a</I> and <I>b</I> are variables (placeholders
for numbers). Two
substitution instances of this law are 5 + 3 = 3 + 5 and (<I>x</I> - 7)
+ <I>c</I> = <I>c</I> + (<I>x</I> - 7). That's the only mathematical
concept you need!
<!-- And if you don't know it, reread this paragraph
until you do! --> Substitution is just writing down a specific
example <!-- or a specialized version --> of a more general formula.
<!--
<B>Exercise:</B> How do we avoid confusion due to the fact that the
<I>b</I> in the second substitution instance also occurs in the original
formula? <B>Answer:</B> Rename the <I>b</I> of the original formula to
some other variable, say <I>d</I>, giving us <I>a</I> + <I>d</I> =
<I>d</I> + <I>a</I>. Then we replace the two occurrences of <I>a</I>
with (<I>b</I> - 7) and the two occurrences of <I>d</I> with <I>c</I>,
yielding the final answer (<I>b</I> - 7) + <I>c</I> = <I>c</I> +
(<I>b</I> - 7).
-->
<P><FONT SIZE="-1">[Note for logicians: The substitution in Metamath
proofs is, indeed, simply the direct replacement of a variable with an
expression. The more complex proper substitution of <A
HREF="#traditional">traditional logic</A> is a derived concept in
Metamath, broken down into multiple primitive steps. <A
HREF="#distinct">Distinct variable</A> provisos, which accompany certain
axioms and are inherited by theorems, forbid unsound
substitutions.]</FONT>
<P> <B><FONT COLOR="#006633">How it works</FONT></B>
To show you how this works in Metamath, we will break down and analyze a
proof step in the proof of 2 + 2 = 4. Once you grasp this example, you
will immediately be able to verify for yourself <I>any</I> proof in the
database—no further prerequisites are needed. You may not understand
what all (or any) of the symbols mean, but you can follow the rules for
how they are manipulated, like game pieces, to prove theorems.
<P><CENTER><TABLE WIDTH="90%"><TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER> <TABLE BORDER=0
CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="#EEFFFA"><TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>
An animated version of the 2+2=4 proof step in this section is
presented starting at 7m32s into David A. Wheeler's <A
HREF="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WH4Rd4UKGE&t=7m32s">Metamath
Proof Explorer: A Modern Principia Mathematica</A>. </TD></TR></TABLE>
</TD></TR></TABLE></CENTER>
<P>Compare this with the years of study it might take to be able to
follow and verify a proof in an advanced math textbook. Typically such
proofs will omit many details, implicitly assuming you have a deep
knowledge of prior material. If you want to be a mathematician, you
will still need those years of study to achieve a high-level
understanding. Metamath will not provide you with that. But if you
just want the ability to convince yourself that a string of math symbols
that mathematicians call a "theorem" is a mechanical consequence of the axioms,
Metamath's proof method lets you accomplish that.
<P>Metamath's conceptual simplicity has a tradeoff, which is the often
large number of steps needed for a complete proof all the way back to
the axioms. But the proofs have been computer-verified, and you can
choose to study only the steps that interest you and still have complete
confidence that the rest are correct.
<P> <A NAME="figure1"></A>
<TABLE ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="10%"><TR><TD>
<IMG BORDER=0 SRC="_proofstep.gif"
WIDTH=592 HEIGHT=369
ALT="Breakdown of a proof step. Credit: N. Megill 2003. Public domain."
TITLE="Breakdown of a proof step. Credit: N. Megill 2003. Public domain."
ALIGN=RIGHT STYLE="margin-bottom:0px">
</TD></TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT SIZE="-1"><B>Figure 1.</B> Step 2 of the 2p2e4
proof references step 1, which in turn "feeds" the hypothesis of earlier
theorem oveq2i (which used to be called opreq2i). The conclusion (assertion)
of oveq2i then generates
step 2 of 2p2e4. Carefully note the substitutions (lassoed in thin orange
lines) that take place. <BR><BR>
<!-- <FONT SIZE=-2 FACE="Comic Sans MS" COLOR=ORANGE>Added</FONT> --> <FONT
SIZE=-1><I>21-Mar-2007</I></FONT>
See also Paul Chapman's <A HREF="_mmbrows2p2e4.png">Metamath browser
screenshot</A>, which shows the substitutions
explicitly.</FONT></TD></TR>
</TABLE>
<P>In the figure above we show part of the proof of the theorem 2 + 2 =
4, called ~ 2p2e4 in the database. We
will show how we arrived at proof step 2, which is an intermediate
result stating that (2 + 2) = (2 + (1 + 1)). (This figure is from an
older version of this site that didn't show indentation levels, and it
is less cluttered for the purpose of this tutorial. The indentation
levels and the <A HREF="../index.html#pink">little <!-- pink --> colored
numbers</A> can make a higher-level view of the proof easier to grasp.)
<!-- <P><FONT COLOR="#F7941D" FACE=sans-serif><B>(1)</B></FONT> -->
-<P><IMG SRC='_orange1circ.gif' WIDTH=19 HEIGHT=19 ALT='(1)'>
Look at Step 2 of the proof.
In the Ref column, we see that it references a previously proved theorem,
~ oveq2i . The theorem oveq2i requires a
hypothesis, and in the Hyp column of Step 2 we indicate that Step 1 will
satisfy (match) this hypothesis.
<P><IMG SRC='_orange2circ.gif' WIDTH=19 HEIGHT=19 ALT='(2)'>
We make
substitutions into the variables of the hypothesis of oveq2i so that it
matches the string of symbols in
the Expression column for Step 1. To achieve this, we substitute
the expression "2" for variable
` A `
and the expression "(1 + 1)" for variable
` B ` .
The middle symbol in the hypothesis of oveq2i is
"=", which is a constant, and we are not allowed to substitute
anything for a constant. Constants must match exactly.
<P>Variables are always colored, and constants are always black (except
the gray turnstile ` |- ` ,
which you may ignore). This makes them easy to recognize.
<!--
The variables in our database have 3 possible colors, <FONT
COLOR="#0000FF">blue</FONT>, <FONT COLOR="#FF0000">red</FONT>, and <FONT
COLOR="#CC33CC">purple</FONT>, representing wffs, sets, and classes
respectively. Don't worry about what these terms mean right now. All
variables, regardless of color, follow the same substitution rule.
-->
In our example, the purple uppercase italic letters are variables,
whereas the symbols
"(", ")", "1", "2", "=", and "+" are constants.
<P>In this example, the constants are probably familiar symbols. In
other cases they may not be. You should focus only on whether the symbols
are variables or constants, not on what they "mean." Your only goal is
to determine what substitutions into the variables of the referenced
theorem are needed to make the symbol strings match.
<P><IMG SRC='_orange3circ.gif' WIDTH=19 HEIGHT=19 ALT='(3)'>
In the Expression column of the Assertion box of oveq2i, there are 4
variables,
` A ` ,
` B ` ,
` C ` ,
and
` F ` .
Because we have already made substitutions into the
hypothesis, variables
` A ` and
` B ` have been
committed to the assignments "2" and "(1 + 1)" respectively, and
we can't change these assignments. However, the new variables
` C `
and
` F `
are free to be assigned with any expression we want (subject to the
legal syntax
requirement described below). By substituting "2" for
` C ` and
"+" for
` F ` , we end up with
(2 + 2) = (2 + (1 + 1)) that we show in the Expression column
for Step 2 of the proof of 2p2e4.
<P><FONT SIZE="-1">[It may seem peculiar to substitute a + sign for a
variable, because you wouldn't do that in high-school algebra. We can
do this because the variables represent arbitrary objects called
"classes," not just numbers. See the description for operation value
~ df-ov (don't worry about right-hand
side of the definition, for now). A number and a + sign are both classes.
You have to free your mind to forget about high-school algebra—pretend
you have no idea what a number or "+" is—and just look at what happens
to the symbols, independent of any meaning. In fact (and ironically),
it may be better to look at a proof where all the symbols are
unfamiliar, perhaps ~ aleph1re , so that you
can observe the mechanical symbol substitutions without the distraction
of preconceived notions.]</FONT>
<P>When we first created the proof, why did we choose these particular
substitutions for ` C `
and ` F `?
The reason is simple—they make the proof work! But how did we know
these particular substitutions should be picked, and not others? That's
the hard part—we didn't know, nor did we know that oveq2i should be
referenced in the second proof step, nor did we know that Step 1 would
have the right expression to match the hypothesis of oveq2i. The
choices were made using intelligent guesses, that were then verified to
work. This is a skill a mathematician develops with experience. Some
of the proofs in our database were discovered by famous mathematicians.
The Metamath Proof Explorer recaptures their efforts and shows you in
complete detail the proof steps and substitutions already worked out.
This allows you to follow a proof even if you are not a mathematician,
and be convinced that its conclusion is a consequence of the axioms.
<P>Sometimes a referenced theorem (or axiom or definition) has no
hypotheses. In that case we omit <IMG SRC='_orange1circ.gif' WIDTH=19
HEIGHT=19 ALT='(1)'> and <IMG SRC='_orange2circ.gif' WIDTH=19 HEIGHT=19
ALT='(2)'> above and immediately proceed to <IMG SRC='_orange3circ.gif'
WIDTH=19 HEIGHT=19 ALT='(3)'>. When there are multiple hypotheses, we
repeat <IMG SRC='_orange1circ.gif' WIDTH=19 HEIGHT=19 ALT='(1)'> and
<IMG SRC='_orange2circ.gif' WIDTH=19 HEIGHT=19 ALT='(2)'> for each one.
<P><CENTER><TABLE WIDTH="90%"><TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER> <TABLE BORDER=0
CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="#EEFFFA"><TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER><IMG
SRC="_nmegill.gif" WIDTH=16 HEIGHT=19
ALT="The Floating Head of Wisdom says: "
TITLE="The Floating Head of Wisdom says: ">
<FONT COLOR="#F7941D"> <B>Done!
You should now be
able to figure out any Metamath proof. In other words, you should be
able to draw a diagram like the one above for any proof step of any proof.</B>
</FONT></TD></TR></TABLE></TD></TR></TABLE></CENTER>
<P>You may want to practice the above procedure for a few other proof
steps to make sure you have grasped the idea.
<P>The rest of this section has some notes on substitutions that you may
find helpful and describes the additional requirements for correctness
not mentioned above. As you will observe if you study a few proofs, the
Metamath proof verifier has already ensured these requirements are met,
so ordinarily you don't have to worry about them.
<P>
<B><FONT COLOR="#006633">Notes on substitutions</FONT></B>
<MENU>
<LI>Substitutions are simultaneous. In other words each occurrence of a
given variable in a referenced theorem must be replaced with the same
expression. For example, there are two occurrences of
` F `
in the Assertion of oveq2i, and both occurrences must be replaced with
the same expression, which is "+" in the above example. </LI>
<LI>Substitutions are made into the variables of the referenced theorem
only, never into the variables of any proof step referenced
in the Hyp column (of the theorem being proved). <I>In other words you
should pretend that all variables in the theorem being proved are
constants for the purpose of figuring out the substitutions.</I> You can
see this by looking at examples such as theorem ~ id1 . To follow the proof
of ~ id1 , you should treat the symbol ` ph ` as if it were a
constant symbol, when you are figuring out the substitutions to make
into the variables of the referenced theorems (or axioms).</LI>
<LI>If the variables of a referenced theorem (or axiom) happen to have
the same names as those in the theorem being proved, you may want to
temporarily rename the variables in the referenced theorem (or axiom)
before substituting expressions for them, to avoid confusion. For
example, the proof of ~ id1 will be less confusing
if the occurrences of ` ph `
in the referenced axioms are renamed to something else.
Specifically, you can rewrite ~ ax-1 as say
` ( ch -> ( ps -> ch ) ) ` .
Then, to obtain step 2 of the proof of id1, substitute "` ph `" for ` ch `
and "` ( ph -> ph ) `" for ` ps ` .
</LI>
</MENU>
<P> <B><FONT COLOR="#006633">Legal syntax</FONT></B>
There is a further requirement for substitutions we have not described
yet. You can't substitute just any old string of symbols for a purple
class variable. Instead, the symbol string must qualify as a class
expression. For example, it would be illegal to substitute the
nonsensical "(1 +" for variable ` B ` above. However, "(1 + 1)" is legal.
Here is how you can tell. "1" is a legal class by ~ c1 . "+" is a
legal class by ~ caddc . Then, by making these
class substitutions into the class variables of ~ co , we see that "(1 + 1)"
is a legal class. But there is no such construction that would let us show
that the nonsensical "(1 +" is a legal class.
<!--
<P><FONT SIZE="-1">[On the other hand, the fact that 1 and + are both
classes means we are allowed to substitute them for any class variables
at all, even where they normally wouldn't go. For example, it is legal
to substitute + for <I><FONT COLOR="#CC33CC">C</FONT></I> and 1 for
<I><FONT COLOR="#CC33CC">F</FONT></I> in oveq2i above, resulting in the
seemingly nonsensical ( + 1 2 ) = ( + 1 ( 1 + 1 ) ). Believe it or not,
this is a perfectly valid theorem of set theory! However, it jumps out
of the subtheory of arithmetic and is of little use; it certainly
doesn't help us make progress towards a proof of ( 2 + 2 ) = 4.
-->
<!--
If this bothers
you, consider the following analogy: any random collection of syntactically
legal statements in a computer language constitute a valid program,
even though the program would be of little use.
-->
<!--
We can play around with such ideas for fun to prove silly but still
perfectly valid theorems
like ~ avril1 , which if nothing else provides an
interesting exercise for figuring out the substitutions involved in its
proof.]</FONT>
-->
<P>Similarly, blue wff variables and red setvar variables can be substituted
only with expressions that qualify as those types.
<P>In other words, we must "prove" that any expression we want to
substitute for a variable qualifies as a legal expression for that type
of variable, before we are allowed to make the substitution.
<P>The actual proofs stored in the database have additional steps that
construct, from syntax definitions, the expressions that are
substituted for variables. We suppress these construction steps on the
web pages because they would make the proofs very long and tedious.
However, the syntax breakdown is straightforward to check by hand if you
make use of the "Syntax hints" provided with each proof. Once you get
used to the syntax, you should be able to "see" its breakdown in your
head; in the meantime you can trust that the Metamath proof verifier did
its job.
<P>If you want to see for yourself the hidden steps that construct the
variable substitutions for each proof step, you can display them using
the Metamath program. For the proof above, use the commands "save proof
2p2e4 /normal" followed by "show proof 2p2e4 /all" in the Metamath
program. (Follow the instructions for downloading and running the <A
HREF="../index.html#mmprog">Metamath program</A>. Try it, it's easy!)
In the "/all" proof display, you will see that step 21 corresponds to
step 2 of the figure above. Steps 14-17 are the hidden steps showing
that "(1 + 1)" is a legal class as we described above. To see the
substitutions we talked about for step 2, you can type "show proof 2p2e4
/detailed_step 21".
<P>In the case of axioms and definitions, we <I>do</I> show their
detailed syntax breakdown, because there is free space on those web
pages not used for anything else. These can help you become familiar
with the syntax. For example, look at the definition of the number 2,
~ df-2 . You can see, at step 4, the demonstration
that "(1 + 1)" is a legal expression that qualifies as a class, i.e.
that can be substituted for a purple class variable.
<P> <B><FONT COLOR="#006633">Distinct variable
restrictions</FONT></B> Our final requirement for
substitutions is described in <A HREF="#distinct">Appendix 3: Distinct
Variables</A> below. These restrictions have no effect on how you
figure out the the substitutions that were made in a proof step. All
they do is prohibit certain substitutions that would otherwise be legal
based what we have described so far. Eventually you should learn how
they work in order to complete your understanding of the mechanics of
logic, but for now, you can trust that the Metamath proof verifier has
ensured that they have been met.
<P> <B><FONT COLOR="#006633">Class
variables</FONT></B> Our example of 2+2=4, with its
purple class variables, depends on a definitional mechanism that
extends the wff and setvar variables used in the axioms to greatly simplify
our presentation. After the axiom section below, we describe the <A
HREF="#class">theory of classes</A>, which you should read to understand
how these tie into the primitive concepts used by the axioms.
<P> <HR NOSHADE SIZE=1><A NAME="axioms"></A><B><FONT COLOR="#006633">The
Axioms </FONT></B>
<!--
<P><CENTER><FONT COLOR="#006633"><I>Everything should be made as simple
as possible, but not simpler.</I><BR> —attributed to Albert
Einstein</FONT></CENTER>
-->
<P><CENTER><FONT COLOR="#006633"><I>Perfection is when there is no longer
anything more to take away.</I><BR> —Antoine de
Saint-Exupery</FONT></CENTER>
<P><FONT SIZE="-1">[The material in this section is intended to be
self-contained. However, you may also find it helpful to review <A
HREF="../index.html#start">these suggestions</A>.
<!-- and take a quick look
at this <A HREF="../mmsolitaire/mms.html#q5">summary of symbols</A>. -->
A
more extensive but still informal overview is given in Chapter 3,
"Abstract Mathematics Revealed," of the <A
HREF="../downloads/metamath.pdf"><I>Metamath</I> book</A> (1.3 MB PDF
file; click on the fourth bookmark in your PDF reader).]</FONT><P>
An <B>axiom</B> is a fundamental assumption that provides a starting
point for reasoning.
The axioms for (essentially) all of mathematics can be conveniently
divided into three groups: <B>propositional calculus,</B> <B>predicate
calculus,</B> and <B>set theory</B>. Each axiom is a string of
mathematical symbols of two kinds: <B>constants</B>, also called
<B>connectives</B>, which we show in black; and <B>variables</B>, which
we show in color. The constants that occur in the axioms are
` ( ` ,
` ) ` ,
` -> ` ,
` -. ` ,
` = ` ,
` e. ` , and
` A. `
(left parenthesis, right parenthesis, implies, not, equals, is contained
in, for all).
<P>Variables are placeholders that can be substituted with other
expressions (strings of symbols). There are two kinds of variables in
the axioms, <B>setvar variables</B> (lowercase italic letters in
<FONT COLOR="#FF0000">red</FONT>) and
<B>wff ("well-formed formula") variables</B> (lowercase Greek letters
in <FONT
COLOR="#0000FF">blue</FONT>). A wff variable can be
substituted with any expression qualifying as a wff (see below).
A setvar variable can be substituted only with another setvar variable
(in other words with an expression of length one, whose only symbol is a
setvar variable) since there are no rules that let us construct more
complex expressions for them. We call these "setvar variables" rather
than just "set variables" to emphasize this restriction. The reason for
this restriction is that they often serve as bound or dummy variables in
expressions, i.e. the first argument of the ` A. ` quantifier connective
introduced below. It is the same reason that you can't substitute say 2
for x in "the integral of x dx" to result in "the integral of 2 d2",
which would be nonsense.
<P><FONT SIZE="-1">[In later proofs you will see a third kind of variable,
called a <B>class variable</B>, which is shown in <FONT
COLOR="#CC33CC">purple</FONT> (usually as uppercase italic letters) and
is a kind of generalization of the setvar variable that can be
substituted with expressions such as 2 or ` ( _pi + 3 ) `. The <A
HREF="#class">theory of classes</A> will be discussed in the next
section.]</FONT><P>
Following the tradition in the literature, we use italic Greek letters for
wff variables and lower-case italic letters for setvar variables.
<P><FONT SIZE="-1">[If you
use a monochrome display or printout, or are colorblind, the red variables are
lowercase italic
letters, the purple ones uppercase italic, and the blue ones
italic Greek. Sometimes we use mathematical symbols (such as +)
as class variables, and in that case they are distinguished by both the
purple color and a dotted underline. In all cases,
the colors are not necessary to disambiguate the symbols. You
can see the list of all symbols including variables on the
<A HREF="mmascii.html">ASCII Symbol Equivalents</A> page.]</FONT><P>
Any mathematical object whatsoever, such as the number 2, the
operation of taking a square root, or the surface of a sphere, is
considered to be a <B>set</B> in set theory. The red setvar variables
represent arbitrary sets such as these. (You can't substitute
the expressions for these sets directly into the setvars, as discussed
above, but must use the setvars as part of a formula that specifies the
properties of these sets indirectly. Our theory of classes in the
next section makes direct substitutions possible, giving us an
often more convenient mechanism for practical work.)
<P><I>A set can be equal to another set, can be contained in another
set, and can contain other sets.</I> <!-- ("Is contained in," "is a
member of," "is an element of," and "belongs to" mean the same thing.)
--> For example, the set of real numbers contains, of course, all of the