1.1 Prove that there is no rational number whose square is 12. Rudins Ex.

2
Proof Suppose there is a rational number whose square is 12. Hence there are two
integers m and n, being co-prime, such that

m
n

2
= 12. This gives m
2
= 12n
2
,
which implies that m is of multiple of 3. Put m = 3k. Then we have 4n
2
= 3k
2
.
This implies that n is also of multiple of 3. Both m and n being of multiple of 3
contradicts to the assumption that they are co-prime.
1.2 Let E be a nonempty subset of an ordered set; suppose is a lower bound of E and
is an upper bound of E. prove that . Rudins Ex. 4
Proof Since a lower bound of E, and E be nonempty, there is x E such that
x. Since is an upper bound of E, then for this element x, we have x . By
the transitivity, we have .
1.3 Let A be a nonempty set of real numbers which is bounded below. Let A be the
set of all numbers x, where x A. Prove that Rudins Ex. 5
inf A = sup(A).
Proof Since A is nonempty and bounded below, A is nonempty and bounded above.
By the least-upper-bound-property of R, b = sup(A) exists. We shall show that
b = inf(A).
First, for any x A, since b = sup(A) is an upper bound of A, we have x b,
or b x. This means that b is a lower bound of A. To show that b is the
greatest lower bound of A, for any c satisfying b < c, we only need to show that c
cannot be a lower bound of A. Indeed, Since c < b, so c is not an upper bound
of A. Hence there is x A such that c < x. In other words, we have x A
such that x < c. So c is not a lower bound of A.
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