Disjoint Sets

🅟 Feb 17, 2026

  🅤 Apr 04, 2026

DEF-DJ. Disjoint Sets.

  • $X$ and $Y$ are disjoint if

    \[X\cap Y = \varnothing.\]
  • $X$ is a disjoint collection if

    \[\bigcap X = \varnothing.\]
  • Not disjoint sets are called joint / overlapping.


PROP-DJ-SLF.

$\varnothing$ is the only set disjoint to itself.

Proof.

  • \[\varnothing\cap\varnothing = \varnothing.\]
  • By PROP-IT-IPO, if $X$ is disjoint to itself,

    \[X = X\cap X = \varnothing.\]

PROP-DJ-ALL.

$\varnothing$ is the only set disjoint to any other set.

Proof.

  • $\varnothing$ is disjoint to any set by PROP-IT-EMP.

  • If $X$ is non-empty,

    \[Y = X\cup\{X\}\]

    is always joint to $X$. By PROP-ZF-SLF, $X\neq Y$.