Hartogs theorem

For every set $X$ there is a least ordinal $h(X)$ that does not inject into $X$.

The least ordinal supplied by the theorem is the Hartogs number.

The least ordinal that does not admit an injection into $X$. Its existence, supplied by Hartogs theorem, does not require the axiom of choice.

Every injection from an ordinal into a set $X$ has domain strictly below the Hartogs number $h(X)$. Therefore all partial injections with ordinal domain and range in $X$ form a set of graphs contained in $\mathcal{P}(h(X)\times X)$. Under extension, the union of a chain remains a partial injection of this kind. Zorn's lemma then supplies a maximal one, and extending at an unused range element shows that it must be a bijection onto $X$. This gives the well-ordering theorem with the set-sizedness of the poset made explicit.

For infinite sets in ZFC, the Hartogs number is the successor of the input cardinal. Every smaller ordinal injects into the input, whereas that successor does not. An infinite successor cardinal ${\kappa }^{+}$ is regular: a cofinal family of at most $\kappa$ ordinals below it would have union of cardinal at most $\kappa \cdot \kappa =\kappa$, a contradiction. Finite inputs give finite successor cardinals, so the formulation in terms of alephs requires an infinite input. The general Hartogs theorem itself does not require choice.