Real numbers

Anssour, Hamidi, Dib

October 10, 2023

Introduction
The construction of the set of real numbers, denoted R, being outside the program so we will
adopt the axiomatic definition of this set.

1 Axiomatic definition of R
1.1 Notations
N = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, · · · } is called set of natural numbers.
Z = {· · · , −4, −3, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, · · · } is called set of integers.
m
 
∗
Q= such that m ∈ Z and n ∈ Z is called set of rational numbers.
n

1.2 Definition
We will define the set of real numbers,denoted R as being a set which exists, non-empty, with :

? A Law of composition , denoted "+", called addition;

? A Low of composition, denoted ".", called multiplication;

? A binary relationship, denoted ≤, read less than or equal to ;

and satisfing these axioms :

1. ∀x, y ∈ R x + y = y + x commutativity of +

2. ∀x, y, z ∈ R x + (y + z) = (x + y) + z associativity of +

3. ∃0 ∈ R ∀x ∈ R x + 0 = x

4. ∀x ∈ R ∃ (−x) ∈ R such that x + (−x) = 0 −x is called the opposite of x.

5. ∀x, y ∈ R x.y = y.x commutativity of .

6. ∀x, y, z ∈ R x. (y.z) = (x.y) .z associativity of .

7. ∃1 ∈ R∗ ∀x ∈ R x.1 = x

8. ∀x ∈ R∗ ∃x−1 ∈ R such that x.x−1 = 1 x−1 is called the inverse of x

9. ∀x, y, z ∈ R x. (y + z) = x.y + x.z distributivity

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 10. ∀x, y ∈ R : x≤y ou y ≤ x
11. ∀x, y, z ∈ R : x ≤ y ⇐⇒ x + z ≤ y + z
12. ∀x ∈ R x ≤ x
13. ∀x, y ∈ R (x ≤ y et y ≤ x) =⇒ x = y
14. ∀x, y, z ∈ R (x ≤ y et y ≤ z) =⇒ x ≤ z
15. ∀x, y ∈ R (0 ≤ x et 0 ≤ y) =⇒ 0 ≤ x.y
16. All subset of R which is not empty and bounded above admits a least upper bound. (upper
bound axiom)

Remark
1. x ≥ y is read "x is greatest than or equal to y".
2. x < y is read "x is less than y".
3. x > y is read "x is greatest than y".

1.3 Properties
1. ∀x, y ∈ R ∀z ∈ R+
∗ : x ≤ y ⇐⇒ xz ≤ yz
2. ∀x, y ∈ R ∀z ∈ R−
∗ : x ≤ y ⇐⇒ xz ≥ yz
1 1
3. ∀x, y ∈ R? xy > 0 : x ≤ y ⇐⇒ ≥
x y
x
4. ∀x, y ∈ R y > 0 : x ≤ y ⇐⇒ ≤1
y
x
5. ∀x, y ∈ R y < 0 : x ≤ y ⇐⇒ ≥1
y
6. ∀x, y, x0 , y 0 ∈ R :
(
x≤y
=⇒ x + x0 ≤ y + y 0
x0 ≤ y 0
Notation
R+ = {x ∈ R | x ≥ 0} , R− = {x ∈ R | x ≤ 0}
−
R+
∗ = {x ∈ R | x > 0} , R∗ = {x ∈ R | x < 0}

2 Absolute value
2.1 Definition

The absolute value of a real x, denoted |x|, is defined as follows:


x si x ≥ 0
|x| =
−x si x ≥ 0

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2.2 Properties
1. ∀x ∈ R : |x| = 0 ⇐⇒ x = 0

2. ∀x, y ∈ R : |x y| = |x| |y|

3. ∀x, y ∈ R : |x + y| ≤ |x| + |y| The triangle inequality.

4. ∀x, y ∈ R : |x − y| ≥ |x| − |y|

√
5. ∀x ∈ R : x2 = |x|

6. ∀x ∈ R ∀a ∈ R+ : |x| ≤ a ⇐⇒ −a ≤ x ≤ a.

7. ∀x ∈ R ∀a ∈ R+ : |x| ≥ a ⇐⇒ x ≥ a or x ≤ −a.

3 Least upper bounds and greatest lower bounds

3.1 bounded above subset

Definition
Let E be a non empty subset of R.
E is bounded above if there is a real M such that ∀x ∈ E : x ≤ M.
M is called an upper bound of E.

3.2 bounded below subset

Definition
Let E be a non empty subset of R
E is bounded below if there is a real m such that ∀x ∈ E : x ≥ m.
m is called a lower bound of E.

3.3 bounded subset

Definition
Let E be a non empty subset of R
E is bounded if E is bounded above and E bounded below.

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Example

1. E1 = [0, 2[

• 2 is an upper bound of E2 since ∀x ∈ E2 x ≤ 2.

• 0 is a lower bound of E2 since ∀x ∈ E2 x ≥ 0.

2. E2 = ]0, +∞[

• E3 has not an upper bound.

• 0 is a lower bound of E3 since ∀x ∈ E3 : x ≥ 0.

Remark
1. if M is an upper bound of E then ∀M 0 ≥ M, M 0 is also an upper bound of E.

2. if m is a lower bound of E then ∀m0 ≤ m, m0 is also a lower bound of E.

3. E is bounded ⇐⇒ ∃α, β ∈ R such that ∀x ∈ E α ≤ x ≤ β.

4. We prove that
E is bounded ⇐⇒ ∃γ ∈ R+ such that ∀x ∈ E |x| ≤ γ.

3.4 Minimum and Maximum of a subset

Definition
Let E be a non empty subset of R

1. A real M is called maximum of E, denoted max E, if and only if M is an upper

bound of E and M ∈ E .

2. A real m is called minimum of E, denoted min E if and only if m is a lower bound

of E and m ∈ E .

Remark
1. max E is the greatest element of E, when it exists it is unique.

2. min E is the smallest element of E, when it exists it is unique.

Example

1. min {1, 2, 3} = 1 and max {1, 2, 3} = 3 .

2. Let E4 = {cos x | x ∈ R}

• max E4 = 1 since 1 is an upper bound of E4 and 1 = cos 2π ∈ E4

• min E4 = −1 since −1 is a lower bound of E4 and −1 = cos π ∈ E4 .

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3.5 Smallest upper bounds

Definition
Let E be a non empty subset of R.
A real M is the smallest upper bound or supremum of E if

1. M is an upper bound of E

2. ∀M 0 ∈ R (M 0 is an upper bound of E =⇒ M ≤ M 0 )

We denote the the smallest upper bound M by sup E or l.u.b.E (we also call it the least
upper bound).

3.6 Greatest lower bounds

Definition
Let E be a non empty subset of R.
A real m is the greatest lower bounds or infimum of E if

1. m is an lower bound of E.

2. ∀m0 ∈ R (m0 is a lower bound of E =⇒ m ≥ m0 )

We denote the the greatest lower bound m by inf E or g.l.b.E .

3.6.1 Supremum axiom, infimum axiom

Every nonempty subset of R which is bounded above has a supremum.
Every nonempty subset of R which is bounded below an infimum.

Example Use the definition to prove that sup [0, 2[ = 2.

Proposition Let E be a nonempty subset of R which is bounded above

We have:

1. if max E exists then sup E = max E.

2. If (sup E) ∈ E then max E exists more over max E = sup E.

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 Proposition Let E be a nonempty subset of R which is bounded below.
We have:

1. if min E exists then inf E = min E.

2. If (inf E) ∈ E then min E exists more over min E = inf E.

Example

1. E4 = {cos x | x ∈ R}

• We have seen that max E4 = 1 hence sup E4 = 1

• min E4 = −1 therefore inf E4 = −1

2. E2 = [0, 2[

• We have proved that sup E2 = 2, but 2 ∈

/ E2 hence max E2 doesn’t exist.
• min E2 = 0 thus inf E2 = 0 .

3.6.2 Characterization of the supremum

Proposition
Let E be a nonempty subset of R which is bounded above, and M a real.
we have: 
 M is an upper bund of A
M = sup A ⇐⇒
 ∀ε > 0 ∃x ∈ A | M − ε < x ≤ M

3.6.3 Charactérization of the infimum

Proposition
Let E be a nonempty subset of R which is bounded below, and m a real.
we have: 
 m is a lower bound of A
m = inf A ⇐⇒
 ∀ε > 0 ∃x ∈ A | m ≤ x < m + ε

4 Further Notions and Results

4.1 Archimedean property of R

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 Theorem 4.1.1
∀x ∈ R ∃n ∈ N such that x < n
We say that R is Archimedean

Remark The Archimedean property of R means that N is not bounded above.

Example For each of these sets, give the maximum, the minimum, the sup and the inf (if
they exist).

1
 
∗
1. E5 = \ n∈N
n
1
 
n ∗
2. E6 = (−1) + \ n∈N
n

4.2 The density of Q in R

theorem

∀x ∈ R ∀y ∈ R (x < y =⇒ ∃z ∈ Q such that x < z < y)

We say that Q is dense in R.

4.3 The integer part

Theorem 4.3.1
∀x ∈ R ∃!n ∈ Z such that n ≤ x < n + 1
This integer which exists and is unique is called the integer part of x or the greatest
integer of x; and it is denoted int(x) or [x].

Example
1. E(1, 5) = 1 since 1 ≤ 1, 5 < 2

2. E(−1, 5) = −2 since −2 ≤ −1, 5 < −1

3. E(2) = 2 since 2 ≤ 2 < 3

4. ∀n ∈ Z E(n) = n since n ≤ n < n + 1

5.

4.4 The intervals

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 Figure 1: Integer part function graph

Definition By interval of R, denoted I, we mean a subset of R which satisfie the

requirement:
∀x ∈ I ∀y ∈ I ∀z ∈ R (x < z < y =⇒ z ∈ I)

The types of intervals

interval of R bounded unbounded

open ]a, b[ ]a, +∞[, ] − ∞, a[, R
closed [a, b] [a, +∞[, ] − ∞, a], R
half open [a, b[, ]a, b]