Clarification for the least upper bound property












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$begingroup$


I've just started on Principles of Mathematical Analysis by Walter Rudin (Third Edition) and came across the following definition for the least-upper-bound property:




Definition: An ordered set $S$ is said to have the least-upper-bound
property if the following is true:



If $Esubset S$, $E$ not empty, and $E$ is bounded above, then sup $E$
exists in $S$.




My question is the following: Does this mean that open bounded sets of the form $(a,b)$ do not have the least-upper-bound property, since the supremum of the subset $(frac{a+b}{2},b)$ is $bnotin (a,b)$ ?










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$endgroup$

















    1












    $begingroup$


    I've just started on Principles of Mathematical Analysis by Walter Rudin (Third Edition) and came across the following definition for the least-upper-bound property:




    Definition: An ordered set $S$ is said to have the least-upper-bound
    property if the following is true:



    If $Esubset S$, $E$ not empty, and $E$ is bounded above, then sup $E$
    exists in $S$.




    My question is the following: Does this mean that open bounded sets of the form $(a,b)$ do not have the least-upper-bound property, since the supremum of the subset $(frac{a+b}{2},b)$ is $bnotin (a,b)$ ?










    share|cite|improve this question











    $endgroup$















      1












      1








      1





      $begingroup$


      I've just started on Principles of Mathematical Analysis by Walter Rudin (Third Edition) and came across the following definition for the least-upper-bound property:




      Definition: An ordered set $S$ is said to have the least-upper-bound
      property if the following is true:



      If $Esubset S$, $E$ not empty, and $E$ is bounded above, then sup $E$
      exists in $S$.




      My question is the following: Does this mean that open bounded sets of the form $(a,b)$ do not have the least-upper-bound property, since the supremum of the subset $(frac{a+b}{2},b)$ is $bnotin (a,b)$ ?










      share|cite|improve this question











      $endgroup$




      I've just started on Principles of Mathematical Analysis by Walter Rudin (Third Edition) and came across the following definition for the least-upper-bound property:




      Definition: An ordered set $S$ is said to have the least-upper-bound
      property if the following is true:



      If $Esubset S$, $E$ not empty, and $E$ is bounded above, then sup $E$
      exists in $S$.




      My question is the following: Does this mean that open bounded sets of the form $(a,b)$ do not have the least-upper-bound property, since the supremum of the subset $(frac{a+b}{2},b)$ is $bnotin (a,b)$ ?







      real-analysis






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      edited Jan 7 at 2:32









      David C. Ullrich

      61.7k44095




      61.7k44095










      asked Jan 6 at 17:36









      Sean LeeSean Lee

      801214




      801214






















          2 Answers
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          active

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          2












          $begingroup$

          The property is defined relative to the set $S$, not to any potential superset of $S$. The example you give has $S=(a,b)$ and the subset you chose as $E$, namely $((a+b)/2,b)$ is not bounded above in $S$ (it is bounded above in $mathbb R$, but this doesn't matter).



          In fact, you can easily check that $S=(a,b)$ has the least upper bound property, the point being that if $Esubseteq S$ is nonempty and bounded above (in $S$), then its supremum exists in $mathbb R$, and therefore in $S$, since this supremum is larger than $a$ and strictly smaller than $b$.



          For a more dramatic example, consider $S=(0,1)cup{2}cup(3,4)$. This set also has the least upper bound property. For instance, $sup(0,1)=2$. Of course, once we consider $S$ as a subset of the reals, this changes but, again, the property is defined as something intrinsic to $S$, independent of what happens in any potential larger sets containing $S$.






          share|cite|improve this answer









          $endgroup$













          • $begingroup$
            Ah I see; So if I may clarify further, whenever we say a set $E$ is 'bounded above', it is understood to be 'bounded above' relative to some set $S$ where $Esubset S$?
            $endgroup$
            – Sean Lee
            Jan 6 at 18:12






          • 1




            $begingroup$
            Yes, being bounded above is relative to whatever the "ambient" universe $S$ is being considered.
            $endgroup$
            – Andrés E. Caicedo
            Jan 6 at 18:13



















          2












          $begingroup$

          Assuming you mean $S=(a,b)$: Actually yes, $(a,b)$ does have the least upper bound property. True, if $E=((a+b)/2,b)$ then there is no $sup E$ in $S$. But that doesn't matter, because (relative to $S$) the set $E$ is not bounded above!



          Look back at the definition: If $Esubset (a,b)=S$ is bounded above in $S$ there exists $cin S$ such that $xle c$ for every $xin E$. Saying that $b$ is an upper bound for $((a+b)/2,b)$ doesn't matter, since we're only talking about elements of $S$.






          share|cite|improve this answer









          $endgroup$














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            2 Answers
            2






            active

            oldest

            votes








            2 Answers
            2






            active

            oldest

            votes









            active

            oldest

            votes






            active

            oldest

            votes









            2












            $begingroup$

            The property is defined relative to the set $S$, not to any potential superset of $S$. The example you give has $S=(a,b)$ and the subset you chose as $E$, namely $((a+b)/2,b)$ is not bounded above in $S$ (it is bounded above in $mathbb R$, but this doesn't matter).



            In fact, you can easily check that $S=(a,b)$ has the least upper bound property, the point being that if $Esubseteq S$ is nonempty and bounded above (in $S$), then its supremum exists in $mathbb R$, and therefore in $S$, since this supremum is larger than $a$ and strictly smaller than $b$.



            For a more dramatic example, consider $S=(0,1)cup{2}cup(3,4)$. This set also has the least upper bound property. For instance, $sup(0,1)=2$. Of course, once we consider $S$ as a subset of the reals, this changes but, again, the property is defined as something intrinsic to $S$, independent of what happens in any potential larger sets containing $S$.






            share|cite|improve this answer









            $endgroup$













            • $begingroup$
              Ah I see; So if I may clarify further, whenever we say a set $E$ is 'bounded above', it is understood to be 'bounded above' relative to some set $S$ where $Esubset S$?
              $endgroup$
              – Sean Lee
              Jan 6 at 18:12






            • 1




              $begingroup$
              Yes, being bounded above is relative to whatever the "ambient" universe $S$ is being considered.
              $endgroup$
              – Andrés E. Caicedo
              Jan 6 at 18:13
















            2












            $begingroup$

            The property is defined relative to the set $S$, not to any potential superset of $S$. The example you give has $S=(a,b)$ and the subset you chose as $E$, namely $((a+b)/2,b)$ is not bounded above in $S$ (it is bounded above in $mathbb R$, but this doesn't matter).



            In fact, you can easily check that $S=(a,b)$ has the least upper bound property, the point being that if $Esubseteq S$ is nonempty and bounded above (in $S$), then its supremum exists in $mathbb R$, and therefore in $S$, since this supremum is larger than $a$ and strictly smaller than $b$.



            For a more dramatic example, consider $S=(0,1)cup{2}cup(3,4)$. This set also has the least upper bound property. For instance, $sup(0,1)=2$. Of course, once we consider $S$ as a subset of the reals, this changes but, again, the property is defined as something intrinsic to $S$, independent of what happens in any potential larger sets containing $S$.






            share|cite|improve this answer









            $endgroup$













            • $begingroup$
              Ah I see; So if I may clarify further, whenever we say a set $E$ is 'bounded above', it is understood to be 'bounded above' relative to some set $S$ where $Esubset S$?
              $endgroup$
              – Sean Lee
              Jan 6 at 18:12






            • 1




              $begingroup$
              Yes, being bounded above is relative to whatever the "ambient" universe $S$ is being considered.
              $endgroup$
              – Andrés E. Caicedo
              Jan 6 at 18:13














            2












            2








            2





            $begingroup$

            The property is defined relative to the set $S$, not to any potential superset of $S$. The example you give has $S=(a,b)$ and the subset you chose as $E$, namely $((a+b)/2,b)$ is not bounded above in $S$ (it is bounded above in $mathbb R$, but this doesn't matter).



            In fact, you can easily check that $S=(a,b)$ has the least upper bound property, the point being that if $Esubseteq S$ is nonempty and bounded above (in $S$), then its supremum exists in $mathbb R$, and therefore in $S$, since this supremum is larger than $a$ and strictly smaller than $b$.



            For a more dramatic example, consider $S=(0,1)cup{2}cup(3,4)$. This set also has the least upper bound property. For instance, $sup(0,1)=2$. Of course, once we consider $S$ as a subset of the reals, this changes but, again, the property is defined as something intrinsic to $S$, independent of what happens in any potential larger sets containing $S$.






            share|cite|improve this answer









            $endgroup$



            The property is defined relative to the set $S$, not to any potential superset of $S$. The example you give has $S=(a,b)$ and the subset you chose as $E$, namely $((a+b)/2,b)$ is not bounded above in $S$ (it is bounded above in $mathbb R$, but this doesn't matter).



            In fact, you can easily check that $S=(a,b)$ has the least upper bound property, the point being that if $Esubseteq S$ is nonempty and bounded above (in $S$), then its supremum exists in $mathbb R$, and therefore in $S$, since this supremum is larger than $a$ and strictly smaller than $b$.



            For a more dramatic example, consider $S=(0,1)cup{2}cup(3,4)$. This set also has the least upper bound property. For instance, $sup(0,1)=2$. Of course, once we consider $S$ as a subset of the reals, this changes but, again, the property is defined as something intrinsic to $S$, independent of what happens in any potential larger sets containing $S$.







            share|cite|improve this answer












            share|cite|improve this answer



            share|cite|improve this answer










            answered Jan 6 at 17:53









            Andrés E. CaicedoAndrés E. Caicedo

            65.9k8160252




            65.9k8160252












            • $begingroup$
              Ah I see; So if I may clarify further, whenever we say a set $E$ is 'bounded above', it is understood to be 'bounded above' relative to some set $S$ where $Esubset S$?
              $endgroup$
              – Sean Lee
              Jan 6 at 18:12






            • 1




              $begingroup$
              Yes, being bounded above is relative to whatever the "ambient" universe $S$ is being considered.
              $endgroup$
              – Andrés E. Caicedo
              Jan 6 at 18:13


















            • $begingroup$
              Ah I see; So if I may clarify further, whenever we say a set $E$ is 'bounded above', it is understood to be 'bounded above' relative to some set $S$ where $Esubset S$?
              $endgroup$
              – Sean Lee
              Jan 6 at 18:12






            • 1




              $begingroup$
              Yes, being bounded above is relative to whatever the "ambient" universe $S$ is being considered.
              $endgroup$
              – Andrés E. Caicedo
              Jan 6 at 18:13
















            $begingroup$
            Ah I see; So if I may clarify further, whenever we say a set $E$ is 'bounded above', it is understood to be 'bounded above' relative to some set $S$ where $Esubset S$?
            $endgroup$
            – Sean Lee
            Jan 6 at 18:12




            $begingroup$
            Ah I see; So if I may clarify further, whenever we say a set $E$ is 'bounded above', it is understood to be 'bounded above' relative to some set $S$ where $Esubset S$?
            $endgroup$
            – Sean Lee
            Jan 6 at 18:12




            1




            1




            $begingroup$
            Yes, being bounded above is relative to whatever the "ambient" universe $S$ is being considered.
            $endgroup$
            – Andrés E. Caicedo
            Jan 6 at 18:13




            $begingroup$
            Yes, being bounded above is relative to whatever the "ambient" universe $S$ is being considered.
            $endgroup$
            – Andrés E. Caicedo
            Jan 6 at 18:13











            2












            $begingroup$

            Assuming you mean $S=(a,b)$: Actually yes, $(a,b)$ does have the least upper bound property. True, if $E=((a+b)/2,b)$ then there is no $sup E$ in $S$. But that doesn't matter, because (relative to $S$) the set $E$ is not bounded above!



            Look back at the definition: If $Esubset (a,b)=S$ is bounded above in $S$ there exists $cin S$ such that $xle c$ for every $xin E$. Saying that $b$ is an upper bound for $((a+b)/2,b)$ doesn't matter, since we're only talking about elements of $S$.






            share|cite|improve this answer









            $endgroup$


















              2












              $begingroup$

              Assuming you mean $S=(a,b)$: Actually yes, $(a,b)$ does have the least upper bound property. True, if $E=((a+b)/2,b)$ then there is no $sup E$ in $S$. But that doesn't matter, because (relative to $S$) the set $E$ is not bounded above!



              Look back at the definition: If $Esubset (a,b)=S$ is bounded above in $S$ there exists $cin S$ such that $xle c$ for every $xin E$. Saying that $b$ is an upper bound for $((a+b)/2,b)$ doesn't matter, since we're only talking about elements of $S$.






              share|cite|improve this answer









              $endgroup$
















                2












                2








                2





                $begingroup$

                Assuming you mean $S=(a,b)$: Actually yes, $(a,b)$ does have the least upper bound property. True, if $E=((a+b)/2,b)$ then there is no $sup E$ in $S$. But that doesn't matter, because (relative to $S$) the set $E$ is not bounded above!



                Look back at the definition: If $Esubset (a,b)=S$ is bounded above in $S$ there exists $cin S$ such that $xle c$ for every $xin E$. Saying that $b$ is an upper bound for $((a+b)/2,b)$ doesn't matter, since we're only talking about elements of $S$.






                share|cite|improve this answer









                $endgroup$



                Assuming you mean $S=(a,b)$: Actually yes, $(a,b)$ does have the least upper bound property. True, if $E=((a+b)/2,b)$ then there is no $sup E$ in $S$. But that doesn't matter, because (relative to $S$) the set $E$ is not bounded above!



                Look back at the definition: If $Esubset (a,b)=S$ is bounded above in $S$ there exists $cin S$ such that $xle c$ for every $xin E$. Saying that $b$ is an upper bound for $((a+b)/2,b)$ doesn't matter, since we're only talking about elements of $S$.







                share|cite|improve this answer












                share|cite|improve this answer



                share|cite|improve this answer










                answered Jan 6 at 18:06









                David C. UllrichDavid C. Ullrich

                61.7k44095




                61.7k44095






























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