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Axiom·A08

Regularity

Every non-empty set has a member disjoint from it.

Here is D002.
In words
For any set A, if A is not empty then there is some x with x belonging to A and for every y, if y belongs to x then y does not belong to A.
This is a ZFC axiom: it is assumed, not proven. Everything below it in a proof chain ultimately rests here.

Remarks

Regularity (Foundation): every non-empty set has an element that shares no member with . This rules out infinite descending membership chains and forbids self-membership ; the shortest cases (no set is a member of itself, and no two sets are members of each other) are proved from this axiom in L05.

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