(0,1)-category

(0,1)-topos

# Contents

## Idea

The complement of a subset $S$ of a set $X$ is the set

$\tilde{S} = \{ a: X \;|\; a \notin S \} .$

(Besides $\tilde{S}$, there are many other notations, such as $X - S$, $\bar{S}$, $\neg{S}$, and so forth.)

Notice that $S \cap \tilde{S} = \empty$, while $S \cup \tilde{S} = X$ by the principle of excluded middle.

The complement of an element $S$ of a lattice is (if it exists) the unique element $\tilde{S}$ such that $S \wedge \tilde{S} = \bot$ and $S \vee \tilde{S} = \top$. If all complements exists one speaks of a complemented lattice. Examples are Boolean algebras.

More generally, the pseudocomplement of an element $S$ of a Heyting algebra is given by $\tilde{S} = S \Rightarrow \bot$. This satisfies $S \wedge \tilde{S} = \bot$ but not $S \vee \tilde{S} = \top$ in general. This case includes the complement of a subset even in constructive mathematics.

In another direction, the complement of a complemented subobject $S$ of an object $X$ in a coherent category is the unique subobject $\tilde{S}$ such that $S \cap \tilde{S}$ is the initial object and $S \cup \tilde{S} = X$.

The complement of a truth value (seen as a subset of the point) is called its negation.

Revised on October 9, 2014 20:30:54 by Urs Schreiber (185.26.182.33)