mliuzzolino
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Homework Statement
For each subset of ℝ, give its supremum and its maximum. Justify the answer.
{r \in \mathbb{Q} : r2 ≤ 5}
Homework Equations
Maximum: If an upper bound m for S is a member of S, then m is called the maximum.
Supremum: Let S be a nonempty set of ℝ. If S is bounded above, then the least upper bound of S is called its supremum.
The Attempt at a Solution
Supremum: none, Maximum: none.
We can see that [any positive real number x such that x2 ≤ 5 is an upper bound. The smallest of these upper bounds is \sqrt{5}, but since \sqrt{5} \notin \mathbb{Q}, then the set has no maximum. Additionally, since \sqrt{5} \notin \mathbb{Q} the set does not have a supremum.
I think this is correct, but I'm not exactly sure. Is there no supremum because even though the least upper bound exists, \sqrt{5}, this least upper bound is not in the set of rationals and therefore the set has no supremum?