Exercise 2097Logic, sets and proofs › Countability and cardinalityM1Added 3 Nov 2026
Cantor function
#Cantor function#cardinality#devil staircase
Statement
Describe the Cantor function (devil's staircase) and its role in cardinality.
Hint
It is a continuous, non-decreasing surjection that is constant on the removed intervals.
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Solution
Construction. On the middle-third interval removed at step , set . On set , on set , etc.
Properties.
- Continuous and non-decreasing.
- Constant on each removed interval.
- Surjective onto .
- Derivative almost everywhere.
Cardinality. Surjection from the Cantor set onto confirms , hence .
Conclusion. The Cantor function provides a concrete surjection from the Cantor set to .