In mathematics, a non-empty collection of sets is called a Ξ΄-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 π-ring which is closed under countable unions.
A family of sets is called a Ξ΄-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 Ξ΄-ring. Every π-ring is a Ξ΄-ring, but not every Ξ΄-ring is a π-ring.
Ξ΄-rings can be used instead of Ο-algebras in the development of measure theory if one does not wish to allow sets of infinite measure.
The family is a Ξ΄-ring but not a π-ring because is not bounded.
| Families of sets over | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Is necessarily true of or, is closed under: | Directed by | F.I.P. | ||||||||
| Ο-system | ||||||||||
| Semiring | Never | |||||||||
| Semialgebra (semifield) | Never | |||||||||
| Monotone class | only if | only if | ||||||||
| π-system (Dynkin system) | only if | only if or they are disjoint | Never | |||||||
| Ring (order theory) | ||||||||||
| Ring (measure theory) | Never | |||||||||
| Ξ΄-ring | Never | |||||||||
| π-ring | Never | |||||||||
| Algebra (field) | Never | |||||||||
| π-algebra (π-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 Ο-system where every complement is equal to a finite disjoint union of sets in | ||||||||||