Sohrab theorem 2.1.45: nested intervals and kₙ₊₁ logic

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I am reading Houshang H. Sohrab's book: "Basic Real Analysis" (Second Edition).

I am focused on Chapter 2: Sequences and Series of Real Numbers ... ...

I need help with another issue/problem with Theorem 2.1.45 concerning the Supremum Property (AoC), the Archimedean Property, and the Nested Intervals Theorem ... ...

Theorem 2.1.45 reads as follows:
Printed text of Theorem 2.1.45 (Supremum Property of R from Nested Intervals Theorem and Archimedean Property) followed by the start of its proof.

Printed proof of the Intervals Theorem: intersection of nested intervals I_n equals {u} for a unique u, with u shown to equal sup(S).
In the above proof by Sohrab, we read the following:

" ... ... Thus while (by definition) ##s + \frac{k_n}{2^n} = s + \frac{2 k_n}{ 2^{n + 1} }## is an upper bound of ##S, s + \frac{ 2 k_n - 2 }{ 2^{n + 1} } = s + \frac{k_n - 1 }{2^n}## is not. Therefore, either ##k_{ n+1 } = 2k_n## or ##k_{ n+1 } = 2k - 1## and ##I_{ n + 1 } \subset I_n## follow. ... ... "I am uncertain and somewhat confused by the logic of the above ...

I am not sure of the argument that either ##k_{ n+1 } = 2k_n## or ##k_{ n+1 } = 2k - 1## ... can someone please explain in simple terms why it is valid ... ..

I am also not sure exactly why ##I_{ n + 1 } \subset I_n## ... if anything it seems to me that ##I_{ n + 1 } = I_n## ... again, can someone please explain in simple terms why ##I_{ n + 1 } \subset I_n## ... that is that ##I_{ n + 1 }## is a proper subset of ##I_n## ... ...

[ ***EDIT*** Just checked and found that Sohrab is using \subset in the sense which includes equality ... so using ##\subset## as meaning ##\subseteq## ... ]Help will be appreciated ...

Peter
==========================================================================================The above theorem concerns the Supremum Property, the Archimedean Property and the Nested Intervals Theorem ... so to give readers the context and notation regarding the above post I am posting the basic information on these properties/theorems ...
Textbook page showing the Completeness Axiom (Supremum Property) and Exercise 2.1.29 asking to show equivalence with the Infimum Property, with a hint to show inf(S) = -sup(-S).
Textbook page showing Theorem 2.1.31 (Archimedean Property of R) with its proof, followed by Corollary 2.1.32 with parts (a), (b) and (c) stating existence of natural numbers n for inequalities involving x and y.

Printed page showing Theorem 2.1.43 (Nested Intervals Theorem) with its proof, followed by Exercise 2.1.44 on nested intervals and the intersection of closed intervals [a_n, b_n] equalling [alpha, beta].
 
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  • Printed page showing Theorem 2.1.45 (Supremum Property of R from the Nested Intervals Theorem and Archimedean Property) followed by the beginning of its proof with equations for k_n and I_n.
    Sohrab - 1 - Theorem 2.1.45 ... - PART 1 ... ....png
    37.9 KB · Views: 632
  • Proof text of the Nested Intervals Theorem showing that the intersection of the intervals I_n equals {u}, with u = sup(S) argued via upper bounds and the definition of k_n.
    Sohrab - 2 - Theorem 2.1.45 ... - PART 2 ... ....png
    29.9 KB · Views: 588
  • Textbook page excerpt stating the Completeness Axiom (Supremum Property) and Exercise 2.1.29 asking to show it is equivalent to the Infimum Property, with a hint about inf(S) = -sup(-S).
    Sohrab - Axiom of Completeness ... Supremum Property ....png
    31.8 KB · Views: 661
  • Textbook excerpt showing Theorem 2.1.31 (Archimedean Property of R) with its proof, followed by Corollary 2.1.32 with parts (a), (b) and (c) on existence of natural numbers n.
    Sohrab - Theorem 2.1.31 - Archimedean Property ... ....png
    28.3 KB · Views: 837
  • Printed textbook page showing Theorem 2.1.43 (Nested Intervals Theorem), its proof, and Exercise 2.1.44 on the intersection of nested closed intervals [a_n, b_n].
    Sohrab - Theorem 2.1.43 ... Nested Intervals Theorem ....png
    48 KB · Views: 596
Last edited:
Math Amateur said:
In the above proof by Sohrab, we read the following:

" ... ... Thus while (by definition) ##s + \frac{k_n}{2^n} = s + \frac{2 k_n}{ 2^{n + 1} }## is an upper bound of ##S, s + \frac{ 2 k_n - 2 }{ 2^{n + 1} } = s + \frac{k_n - 1 }{2^n}## is not. Therefore, either ##k_{ n+1 } = 2k_n## or ##k_{ n+1 } = 2k - 1## and ##I_{ n + 1 } \subset I_n## follow. ... ... "I am uncertain and somewhat confused by the logic of the above ...

I am not sure of the argument that either ##k_{ n+1 } = 2k_n## or ##k_{ n+1 } = 2k - 1## ... can someone please explain in simple terms why it is valid ... ..

I am also not sure exactly why ##I_{ n + 1 } \subset I_n## ... if anything it seems to me that ##I_{ n + 1 } = I_n## ... again, can someone please explain in simple terms why ##I_{ n + 1 } \subset I_n## ... that is that ##I_{ n + 1 }## is a proper subset of ##I_n##
I assume you accept the statement that ##s + \frac{ 2 k_n - 2 }{ 2^{n + 1} }## is not an upper bound of ##S##. If not, this post won't help.

##k_{n+1}## is defined as the smallest ##m\in\mathbb N## such that ##s+k_{n+1}/2^{n+1}## is an UB for ##S##. We know that ##s+(2k_n-2)/2^{n+1}## is not an UB, therefore it must be too small to be an UB. So we must have ##k_{n+1}> 2k_n-2##.

How much bigger does ##k_{n+1}## have to be? We know that ##2k_n## is big enough. So ##k_{n+1}\leq 2k_n##.

The only integers ##m## that satisfy ##2k_n-2 < m \leq 2k_n## are those two the text names.
 
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Thanks Andrew ... now understand ...

Your post was most helpful ...

Peter