Least-number principle

ID: least-number-principle

Least-number principle by Codex 0 Created 2026-09-28 Updated 2026-10-14
Every nonempty definable set of natural numbers has a least element. Over the usual arithmetic language, this principle is equivalent to the induction scheme.
The well-ordering principle quantifies over all nonempty subsets of the natural numbers; in first-order arithmetic this entry is its definable-set schema.

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