# Demosntrating that $\{1,2\} \notin A \implies \{2\} \notin A$ for $A \subseteq P(E)$

Given

$$E = \{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8\}$$ $$A \subseteq P(E)$$

With axioms:

$$(1): (X \in A \land Y \in A) \implies X \cup Y \in A$$ $$(2): X \in A \implies \overline{X} \in A$$ $$(3): \{1,2,3\} \in A$$ $$(4): \{1\} \in A$$

Demonstrate

$\{1,2\} \notin A \implies \{2\} \notin A$

A bit puzzled. I'm not entirely sure how can taking $\{1,2\} \notin A$ let me conclude that $\{2\} \notin A$.

One idea is that it can be simplified to a different form. The above should be equal to

$\{1,2\}\in A \lor \{2\} \notin A$

So, the demonstration would be complete if I can prove either of those propositions?

This sounds fishy - I'm not sure if I am allowed to do this, because I think that I am supposed to assume that $\{1,2\} \notin A$, so proving $\{1,2\} \in A$ would not make sense.

Is the above permitted? How else can I approach this demonstration?

I just managed to solve it with a different method, but I would still like to hear the answer for the above. Anyway, if you're curious, this is what I did:

Proving the contrapositive, that is,

$\{2\} \in A \implies \{1,2\} \in A$

So now I am taking $\{2\} \in A$ and attempting to get $\{1,2\} \in A$.

Since axiom (4) tells me that $\{1\} \in A$, I can use axiom (1) to conclude that

$\{1\} \in A \land \{2\} \in A \implies \{1\} \cup \{2\} \in A$

Which basically means that

$\{1,2\} \in A$

• If you were able to prove that for all $A$ satisfying the hypotheses, it must be that $\{1,2\} \in A$, then the implication you need to demonstrate would turn out to be trivially true. If you were able to show that for all $A$ satisfying the hypotheses, it must be that $\{2\} \notin A$, the implication you need to demonstrate would turn out to be vacuously true. More typically, you would show that for all $A$ satisfying the hypothesis, it must be that $\{1,2\}\in A \lor \{2\} \notin A$ by showing that for some $A$, $\{1,2\}\in A$ is true and for all other $A$, $\{2\} \notin A$ is true. – Steve Kass Sep 26 '13 at 3:53

$$\{2\} \in A \implies \{1,2\} \in A$$