Analysis - Cauchy caracterisation of completeness

In summary, the conversation discusses the completeness axiom and its equivalence to the least upper bound property and the statement that every Cauchy sequence converges. It is mentioned that the completeness axiom is used to prove a lemma related to Cauchy sequences and that the statement "Cauchy complete + Archmedian property" is equivalent to the completeness axiom. The conversation ends with the person finding the proof and thanking for the help.
  • #1
quasar987
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Homework Statement


In my book (Classical Analysis by Marsdsen & Hoffman), they use the monotone bounded sequence property as the completeness axiom. That is to say, they call complete an ordered field in which every bounded monotone sequence converges and they argue that there is a unique (up to order preserving field isomorphism) complete ordered field that we call the reals.

Then they clearly show that the completeness axiom is logically equivalent to the least upper bound property (if a subset of the reals is bounded above, then the supremum exists [i.e. is real]). They then start talking about Cauchy sequences and "hint" that the statement "Every Cauchy sequence converges" is also logically equivalent to the completeness axiom. That's what I want to verify.

The Attempt at a Solution



The "==>" part is already taken care of in the text because we used the completeness axiom to prove a lemma to the thm that every Cauchy sequence converges.

But I'm struggling a bit with the "<==" side in showing that every bounded monotone sequence is Cauchy.

I'll keep thinking about it an update this thread if I find something. Meanwhile, a hint would be post welcome :smile:
 
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  • #2
quasar987 said:
They then start talking about Cauchy sequences and "hint" that the statement "Every Cauchy sequence converges" is also logically equivalent to the completeness axiom. That's what I want to verify.
It's not. However, "Cauchy complete + Archmedian property" is equivalent to the completeness axiom.
 
  • #3
Ok, thanks! :-p

Edit: I found the proof.
 
Last edited:

Related to Analysis - Cauchy caracterisation of completeness

What is the Cauchy caracterisation of completeness?

The Cauchy caracterisation of completeness is a mathematical theorem that states that a metric space is complete if and only if every Cauchy sequence in the space converges to a point in the space. This means that in a complete metric space, every sequence that gets closer and closer together eventually converges to a point within the space.

What is the significance of the Cauchy caracterisation of completeness?

The Cauchy caracterisation of completeness is important because it provides a way to determine if a given metric space is complete or not. It also helps in proving the completeness of certain mathematical structures, such as real numbers, by showing that every Cauchy sequence in those structures converges to a point within the structure.

How is the Cauchy caracterisation of completeness used in mathematical analysis?

The Cauchy caracterisation of completeness is used in mathematical analysis to prove the convergence of sequences and series in metric spaces. It is also used in the construction and study of complete metric spaces, which are essential in many areas of mathematics, such as functional analysis and differential equations.

Are there any alternative characterisations of completeness?

Yes, there are other characterisations of completeness, such as the Bolzano-Weierstrass theorem and the Heine-Borel theorem. These theorems also provide necessary and sufficient conditions for a metric space to be complete, but they are based on different concepts and approaches.

Can the Cauchy caracterisation of completeness be extended to other types of spaces?

Yes, the Cauchy caracterisation of completeness can be extended to other types of spaces, such as normed vector spaces and topological spaces. In these spaces, the concept of Cauchy sequences is replaced by other notions, such as Cauchy filters or Cauchy nets, but the essential idea remains the same: completeness means that all "close enough" sequences converge to a point within the space.

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