Set-Builder Notation

🅟 Feb 16, 2026

  🅤 Feb 22, 2026

Set Theory > Sets

DEF-BLD. Set-Builder.

Let $X$ be a set and $\varphi(x,p)$ be a formula with free variables among $x$ and $p$. The notation

\[\{x\in X : \varphi(x,p)\}\]

denotes the unique set $Y$ such that

\[\forall x :\enspace x\in Y \enspace\Leftrightarrow\enspace x\in X\land\varphi(x,p).\]

The existence of $Y$ is justified by Separation Schema and the uniqueness is justified by Axiom of Extensionality.