Partial choice functions for families of finite sets

Abstract

Let m>2 be an integer. We show that ZF + "For every integer n, Every countable family of non-empty sets of cardinality at most n has an infinite partial choice function" is not strong enough to prove that every countable set of m-element sets has a choice function. In the case where m=p is prime, to obtain the independence result we make use of a permutation model in which the set of atoms has the structure of a vector space over the field of p elements. When m is non-prime, a suitable permutation model is built from the models used in the prime cases.

Early version submitted to Fundamenta Mathematicae (16 June 2008), later withdrawn, in order to rewrite with more general results. New version submitted Dec 2011