elementary set theory - The cartesian product $mathbb{N} times mathbb{N}$ is countable

I'm examining a proof I have read that claims to show that the Cartesian product $\mathbb{N} \times \mathbb{N}$ is countable, and as part of this proof, I am looking to show that the given map is surjective (indeed bijective), but I'm afraid that I can't see why this is the case. I wonder whether you might be able to point me in the right direction?

Indeed, the proof begins like this:

"For each $n \in \mathbb{N}$, let $k_n, l_n$ be such that $n = 2^{k_n - 1} \left(2l_n - 1 \right)$; that is, $k_n - 1$ is the power of $2$ in the prime factorisation of $n$, and $2 l_n - 1$ is the (necessarily odd) number $\frac{n}{2^{k_n - 1}}$."

It then states that $n \mapsto \left(k_n , l_n \right)$ is a surjection from $\mathbb{N}$ to $\mathbb{N} \times \mathbb{N}$, and so ends the proof.

I can intuitively see why this should be a bijection, I think, but I'm not sure how to make these feelings rigorous?

I suppose I'd say that the map is surjective since given any $\left(k_n , l_n \right) \in \mathbb{N} \times \mathbb{N}$ we can simply take $n$ indeed to be equal to $2^{k_n - 1} \left(2l_n - 1 \right)$ and note that $k_n - 1 \geq 0$ and thus $2^{k_n - 1}$ is both greater or equal to one so is a natural number (making the obvious inductive argument, noting that multiplication on $\mathbb{N}$ is closed), and similarly that $2 l_n - 1 \geq 2\cdot 1 - 1 = 1$ and is also a natural number, and thus the product of these two, $n$ must also be a natural number. Is it just as simple as this?

I suppose my gut feeling in the proving that the map is injective would be to assume that $2^{k_n - 1} \left(2 l_n - 1 \right) = 2^{k_m - 1} \left(2 l_m - 1 \right)$ and then use the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic to conclude that $n = m$. Is this going along the right lines? The 'implicit' definition of the mapping has me a little confused about the approach.

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On a related, but separate note, I am indeed aware that if $K$ and $L$ are any countable sets, then so is $K \times L$, so trivially, taking the identity mapping we see trivially that this map is bijective and therefore that $\mathbb{N}$ is certainly countable (!), and thus so is $\mathbb{N} \times \mathbb{N}$. Hence, it's not really the statement that I'm interested in, but rather the exciting excursion into number theory that the above alternative proof provides.

Answer

Your intuition is correct. We use the fundamental theorem of arithmetic, namely the prime factorization is unique (up to order, of course).

First we prove injectivity:

Suppose $(k_n,l_n),(k_m,l_m)\in\mathbb N\times\mathbb N$ and $2^{k_n - 1} (2 l_n - 1 ) = 2^{k_m - 1} (2 l_m - 1)$.

$2$ is a prime number and $2t-1$ is odd for all $t$, and so we have that the power of $2$ is the same on both sides of the equation, and it is exactly $k_n=k_m$.

Divide by $2^{k_n}$ and therefore $2l_n-1 = 2l_m-1$, add $1$ and divide by $2$, so $(k_n,l_n)=(k_m,l_m)$ and therefore this mapping is injective.

Surjectivity it is even simpler, take $(k,l)\in\mathbb N\times\mathbb N$ and let $n=2^{k-1}(2l-1)$. Now $n\mapsto(k,l)$, because $2l-1$ is odd, so the powers of $2$ in the prime decomposition of $n$ are exactly $k-1$, and from there $l$ is determined to be our $l$. (If you look closely, this is exactly the same argument for injectivity only applied "backwards", which is a trait many of the proofs of this kind has)

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As for simpler proofs, there are infinitely many... from the Cantor's pairing function ($(n,m)\mapsto\frac{(n+m)(n+m+1)}{2}+n$), to Cantor-Bernstein arguments by $(n,m)\mapsto 2^n3^m$ and $k\mapsto (k,k)$ for the injective functions. I like this function, though. I will try to remember it and use it next time I teach someone such proof.