Identifying the name of a theorem

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around identifying the name of a theorem related to limits of functions, specifically the Heine criterion. Participants explore its recognition in different contexts, including metric spaces and lecture materials.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes the Heine criterion, which states that a function's limit at a point can be defined through the convergence of sequences approaching that point.
  • Another participant suggests that the theorem may be referenced as theorem 5.15 in specific lecture notes, indicating familiarity with the concept but uncertainty about its naming.
  • A different participant notes that in their lectures, the theorem is specifically referred to as the Heine criterion, expressing confusion over the lack of results when searching for this term online.
  • One participant mentions the term "sequential criterion for limits" as an alternative description of the theorem.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the naming of the theorem, with multiple perspectives on its recognition and terminology in different contexts.

Contextual Notes

There is a noted discrepancy in how the theorem is named across different sources, with some participants pointing out variations such as "Zorn's lemma" versus "Kuratowski-Zorn lemma." This suggests potential limitations in the consistency of terminology in mathematical literature.

nuuskur
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I can't find sufficient material for this theorem in my own languages so I have to resort to English, however, googling "Heine criterion" yields nothing significant so I think, once again I just can't get its English name right.

Limit of a function: Heine criterion:
Given [itex]f\colon D\to\mathbb{R}, \lim\limits_{x\to a} f = A\Leftrightarrow \forall (x_n)\to a\colon x_n\neq a \Rightarrow f(x_n)\to A[/itex]
In words: A is a limit of f as x approaches a if and only if for every sequence [itex](x_n)[/itex] converging to a such that [itex]x_n\neq a[/itex] their respective function f values converge to A.

EDIT: tiny error correction
 
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In our lectures it's specifically referred to as the Heine criterion, I just find it odd that googling this yields no result. A bit similar when I tried to look up a lemma given in our lectures as "Kuratowski-Zorn lemma", in most sources I just found it as "Zorn's lemma" which is curious.. 1st and 2nd world conflicts from the "good" ol' days?

Assuming you mean 5.1.15 in the notes, then yes, it does look the same. Thanks, I now know what to look for.
 
Last edited:
Sequential criterion for limits.
 
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