Leigh.Samphier/Sandbox/Equivalence of Definitions of Matroid Rank Axioms/Condition 1 Implies Condition 3/Lemma 1

Theorem

Let $S$ be a finite set.

Let $\rho : \powerset S \to \Z$ be a mapping from the power set of $S$ to the integers.

Let $\rho$ satisfy the rank axioms:

\((\text R 1)\)	$:$						\(\displaystyle \map \rho \O = 0 \)
\((\text R 2)\)	$:$		\(\displaystyle \forall X \in \powerset S \land y \in S:\)				\(\displaystyle \map \rho X \le \map \rho {X \cup \set y} \le \map \rho X + 1 \)
\((\text R 3)\)	$:$		\(\displaystyle \forall X \in \powerset S \land y, z \in S:\)				\(\displaystyle \map \rho {X \cup \set y} = \map \rho {X \cup \set z} = \map \rho X \implies \map \rho {X \cup \set y \cup \set z} = \map \rho X \)

Then:

$\forall A, B \subseteq S: A \subseteq B \implies \map \rho A \le \map \rho B$

Proof

Aiming for a contradiction, suppose:

$\exists A, B \subseteq S : A \subseteq B$ and $\map \rho A > \map \rho B$

Let $B \subseteq S$:

$\exists A \subseteq B : \map rho A > \map \rho B$

Let $A_0 \subseteq B$:

$\card {A_0} = \max \set{\card A : A \subseteq B \land \map \rho A > \map \rho B}$

As $\map \rho {A_0} > \map \rho B$:

$A_0 \ne B$

From Set Difference with Proper Subset:

$\exists y \in B \setminus A_0$

We have:

\(\ds \map \rho B\)

\(<\)

\(\ds \map \rho {A_0}\)

By Choice of $A_0$

\(\ds \)

\(\le\)

\(\ds \map \rho {A_0 \cup \set y}\)

Rank axiom $(\text R 2)$

\(\ds \)

\(\le\)

\(\ds \map \rho B\)

By Choice of $A_0$

This is a contradiction.

Hence:

$\forall A, B \subseteq S: A \subseteq B \implies \map \rho A \le \map \rho B$

$\blacksquare$