Britannica AI Icon

countable set

mathematics
Also known as: countability, denumerable set

Quick Summary

In mathematics, a countable set is a set whose elements can be put into a one-to-one correspondence with the set of positive integers. This means that even if the set is infinite, its elements can be listed in an order, even if that list never ends. Examples of countable sets include the set of all whole numbers, all even numbers, and all fractions.12

Sets that cannot be paired off with the integers are called uncountable, and they are considered larger than countable sets. The size of infinite sets is indicated by cardinal numbers, symbolized by the Hebrew letter aleph (ℵ).3

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.