axiom of choice

Meaning

Noun

• One of the axioms of set theory, equivalent to the statement that an arbitrary direct product of non-empty sets is non-empty; any version of said axiom, for example specifying the cardinality of the number of sets from which choices are made.

Related

Similar words

• AC

Origin

• A calque of German Axiom der Auswahl (now more commonly Auswahlaxiom), which first appeared in print with a description of the axiom in 1908, Ernst Zermelo, '' ["Investigations in the foundations of set theory I"], Mathematische Annalen'', 65 (although the paper was dated 1907).