Aleph Number

🅟 Mar 09, 2026

  🅤 Jun 10, 2026

Definition 1.

Alpeh numbers or alephs are defined using Transfinite Recursion:

  1. \[\aleph_0 = \omega.\]
  2. For all ordinals $\alpha$,

    \[\aleph_{\alpha + 1} = \aleph_\alpha^+.\]
  3. For limit ordinals $\alpha$,

    \[\aleph_\alpha = \sup\{\aleph_\beta : \beta < \alpha\}.\]

For every ordinal $\alpha$, we also write

\[\omega_\alpha = \aleph_\alpha.\]

$\aleph_\alpha$ is used with emphasis on an aleph number, $\omega_\alpha$ with emphasis on an ordinal.


Proposition 1.

For any infinite set $X$, $X$ is well-orderable if and only if $\lvert X \rvert$ is an aleph.

The following proposition is equivalent to $\AC$:

Proposition 2.

Every infinite cardinal is an aleph.