Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2002/ia/paper-4/6f/a/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2002 ia Paper 4 6F a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
First, finite additivity of a set function gives , since . Put . Decomposing any subset into its singleton elements and using induction gives . Fix and let be the number of sets containing it. Its total coefficient in the alternating intersection sum is zero if , and otherwise isby the binomial theorem. These are exactly the coefficients in . Summing against proves the required inclusion-exclusion principle for the additive set function, including signed weights.
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