What is the Definition of the Supremum in First Order Predicate Logic?

In summary, the conversation discusses the formalization of the definition of supremum in the real numbers. The concept of supremum as the least upper bound of a non-empty set of real numbers bounded from above is mentioned. The conversation also delves into the use of epsilon-delta formalization and its equivalence to the definition of supremum. However, there may be a problem with expressing the definition in first-order predicate logic since it deals with two types of objects, numbers and sets of numbers.
  • #1
stauros
35
0
i was trying to formalize the definition of the supremum in the real Nos (supremum is the least upper bound that a non empty set of the real Nos bounded from above has ) but the least upper part got me stuck.

Can anybody help?
 
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  • #2
If epsilon>0 what can you say about the set T of all t such that
sup(S)>=t>sup(S)-epsilon
 
  • #3
lurflurf said:
If epsilon>0 what can you say about the set T of all t such that
sup(S)>=t>sup(S)-epsilon

There is a t belonging to T such that : ##a-\epsilon<t\leq t##, where a= supremum.

But i did not ask for the formalization of that theorem ,which we can prove by using the definition of the supremum
 
  • #4
What type of formalization do you want, epsilon-delta or some other? The most obvious (and silly) would be
let S be a set of real numbers
let U(S)={x in R|x>=s for all s in S} be the set of all upper bounds of S
sup(S)=min(U(s))

thus sup(S) is the unique real number such for any real number x either x>=sup(S) or there exist s in S such that s>=x

This is one of those occasions where we have n equivalent statements so we make one the definition and arbitrarily the other n-1 become trivial theorems.
 
  • #5
The epsilon delta type
 
  • #6
There you go

sup(S) is the unique real number such that
for all s in S sup(s)>=s
for all epsilon>0
there exist t in S such that
sup(S)>=t>sup(S)-epsilon
 
  • #7
lurflurf said:
There you go

sup(S) is the unique real number such that
for all s in S sup(s)>=s
for all epsilon>0
there exist t in S such that
sup(S)>=t>sup(S)-epsilon

We want that only in symbols no words.

Again this is a theorem of the definition i asked in my original post,but anyway let's see how this can be trasfered into logical symbols
 
  • #8
stauros said:
We want that only in symbols no words.

Again this is a theorem of the definition i asked in my original post,but anyway let's see how this can be trasfered into logical symbols
There is a possible problem here. If you want to express it in first order predicate logic, this is not possible, since we need to express two types of objects, numbers and sets of numbers, while first order predicate logic only deals with one type of objects.
 
  • #9
Erland said:
There is a possible problem here. If you want to express it in first order predicate logic, this is not possible, since we need to express two types of objects, numbers and sets of numbers, while first order predicate logic only deals with one type of objects.

Yes,you are right we need 1st and 2nd order predicates.


But ifyou could express it in 1st order predicates ,i would be very interested to see.
 

FAQ: What is the Definition of the Supremum in First Order Predicate Logic?

1. What is the supremum?

The supremum, also known as the least upper bound, is the smallest number that is greater than or equal to all the elements in a set. It is a concept in mathematics that is commonly used in the study of real numbers and analysis.

2. How is the supremum different from the maximum?

While the supremum is the smallest number that is greater than or equal to all the elements in a set, the maximum is the largest number in the set. In some cases, the supremum and maximum can be the same, but in other cases, the supremum may not actually be an element of the set.

3. How is the supremum related to the infimum?

The infimum, or greatest lower bound, is the largest number that is less than or equal to all the elements in a set. The supremum and infimum are closely related, as they both define boundaries for a set of numbers. In some cases, the supremum and infimum may be the same, but in other cases, they may be different.

4. Can the supremum exist for an infinite set?

Yes, the supremum can exist for an infinite set as long as the set is bounded above, meaning there is a finite number that is greater than or equal to all the elements in the set. If the set is unbounded, the supremum does not exist.

5. How is the supremum used in real-world applications?

The supremum is commonly used in economics, finance, and other fields that involve optimization problems. It is also used in the study of limits and convergence in analysis. In real-world scenarios, the supremum can help determine the best possible outcome or solution given a set of constraints.

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