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Use the inclusive convention: a set is countable if it admits an injective function into $\mathbb{N}=\{1,2,\dots \}$. This includes every finite set and the empty set. If $j:X\to \mathbb{N}$ is injective and $Y\subseteq X$, its restriction to $Y$ is still injective, proving directly that every subset of a countable set is countable.

Enumerate pairs by diagonals. The positive-integer Cantor pairing functionis a bijection ${\mathbb{N}}^2\to \mathbb{N}$: on the diagonal $a+b-2=d$, its values are $d(d+1)/2+1$ through $(d+1)(d+2)/2$, each once, and these consecutive blocks partition $\mathbb{N}$. This proves countability without assuming any product theorem.

For a sequence of countable sets $X_1,X_2,\dots$, choose injections $j_i:X_i\to \mathbb{N}$. For $x$ in their union, let $i(x)$ be the least index containing $x$. The mapis injective: its encoded index and the injective within-set code recover $x$. Thus a countable union of countable sets is countable. Selecting the injections for an arbitrary given family uses the usual axiom of countable choice; when the encodings are supplied, the displayed construction is entirely explicit.

For finite Cartesian powers, start with the identity injection on $\mathbb{N}$ and recursively encode $(a_1,\dots ,a_n)$ as $\pi (j_{n-1}(a_1,\dots ,a_{n-1}),a_n)$. This proves that ${\mathbb{N}}^n$ is countable for every positive integer $n$ and is the constructive proof of the finite Cartesian power of a countable set property.

For each positive integer $m$, let $P_m$ consist of the functions for which $m$ is a period. Restriction to the residues $0,1,\dots ,m-1$ is a bijection $P_m\to {\mathbb{N}}^m$: any tuple extends uniquely to all of $\mathbb{Z}$ by taking residues modulo $m$, including negative arguments. Hence $P_m$ is countable. Every periodic function belongs to some $P_m$, soThere is no need to assume the chosen period is minimal; multiple descriptions only create overlap, which does not invalidate the union argument. This is an instance of the cardinality of integer-periodic function spaces principle.

A set is countable if it admits an injection into the natural numbers; this includes finite sets and the empty set. Use ${\mathbb{N}}_0=\{0,1,2,\dots \}$ for the enumeration. The Cantor pairing functionis a bijection ${\mathbb{N}}_0^2\to {\mathbb{N}}_0$. Indeed, on the diagonal $i+j=s$, its values are the consecutive integers from $s(s+1)/2$ through $s(s+1)/2+s$. These intervals are disjoint, and the next starts one beyond the preceding endpoint. Every nonnegative integer therefore determines exactly one diagonal $s$, then exactly one $j$, and finally $i=s-j$. If one's convention starts the natural numbers at one, translate both coordinates by one. Thus $\mathbb{N}\times \mathbb{N}$ is a countable set.

For countable sets $X,Y$, choose injections $e_X:X\to {\mathbb{N}}_0$ and $e_Y:Y\to {\mathbb{N}}_0$. The map $(x,y)\mapsto \Pi (e_X(x),e_Y(y))$ is an injection, proving their Cartesian product is countable. Repeating this proves that every finite Cartesian power of a countable set is countable.

For a sequence of countable sets $X_n$, choose an injection $e_n:X_n\to {\mathbb{N}}_0$ for each $n$. For $x\in {\bigcup }_n{X}_n$, let $n(x)$ be the least index containing $x$. The mapis an injection: its value recovers $n(x)$ and then $x$. This proves the countable union of countable sets theorem. Selecting all $e_n$ uses the usual axiom of countable choice; if enumerations are already supplied, the construction itself needs no additional choices.

For a countable set $A$, the polynomials of polynomial degree at most $d$ with coefficients in $A$ are described by coefficient tuples in $A^{d+1}$. The finite Cartesian power of a countable set result makes this a countable set. Taking the union over $d\ge 0$ shows there are only countably many such polynomials altogether; restricting to the nonzero polynomials preserves countability.

A nonzero polynomial of polynomial degree $d$ has at most $d$ distinct roots of a polynomial. To see the bound, a root $r$ gives the factorization $P(x)=(x-r)Q(x)$ by the factor theorem, and each other root is a root of $Q$, whose degree is $d-1$; induction starts with a nonzero constant, which has no roots. Thus $\varphi (A)$ is a countable union of countable sets, each of them finite, and is a countable set.

Starting with the given countable set $A_0$, mathematical induction now shows that every $A_n=\varphi (A_{n-1})$ is countable. A final application of the countable union of countable sets theorem givesThis countability argument does not require that the sequence of sets be increasing.

Write $A=\{a_1,\dots ,a_m\}$ and enumerate $B=\{b_1,b_2,\dots \}$. Each injective function $f:A\to B$ is determined by the finite tuple $(f(a_1),\dots ,f(a_m))$. Thus these functions form a subset of the finite Cartesian product $B^m$. A finite Cartesian power of a countable set is countable: for example, group the index tuples by the maximum of their coordinates, obtaining a countable union of countable sets consisting of finite groups.

There are also infinitely many such injective functions, sincedefines pairwise distinct examples. Therefore $S_1$ is a countably infinite set.