In mathematics, a non-empty collection of sets is called a δ-ring (pronounced "delta-ring") if it is closed under union, relative complementation, and countable intersection. The name "delta-ring" originates from the German word for intersection, "Durchschnitt", which is meant to highlight the ring's closure under countable intersection, in contrast to a 𝜎-ring which is closed under countable unions.
A family of sets is called a δ-ring if it has all of the following properties:
If only the first two properties are satisfied, then is a ring of sets but not a δ-ring. Every 𝜎-ring is a δ-ring, but not every δ-ring is a 𝜎-ring.
δ-rings can be used instead of σ-algebras in the development of measure theory if one does not wish to allow sets of infinite measure.
The family is a δ-ring but not a 𝜎-ring because is not bounded.
| Families of sets over | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Is necessarily true of or, is closed under: | Directed by | F.I.P. | ||||||||
| π-system | ||||||||||
| Semiring | Never | |||||||||
| Semialgebra (semifield) | Never | |||||||||
| Monotone class | only if | only if | ||||||||
| 𝜆-system (Dynkin system) | only if | only if or they are disjoint | Never | |||||||
| Ring (order theory) | ||||||||||
| Ring (measure theory) | Never | |||||||||
| δ-ring | Never | |||||||||
| 𝜎-ring | Never | |||||||||
| Algebra (field) | Never | |||||||||
| 𝜎-algebra (𝜎-field) | Never | |||||||||
| Filter | ||||||||||
| Proper filter | Never | Never | Never | |||||||
| Prefilter (filter base) | ||||||||||
| Filter subbase | ||||||||||
| Open topology | (even arbitrary ) | Never | ||||||||
| Closed topology | (even arbitrary ) | Never | ||||||||
| Is necessarily true of or, is closed under: | directed downward | finite intersections | finite unions | relative complements | complements in | countable intersections | countable unions | contains | contains | Finite intersection property |
|
Additionally, a semiring is a π-system where every complement is equal to a finite disjoint union of sets in | ||||||||||