• DISTINGUISHED

ELEMENTS
• Totally Ordered
Sets
7.10 Definition An element m ∈ A is called a
maximal element of A if none of the
elements of A are strictly greater than m; in
symbols, this can be expressed as follows:

Similarly, an element n ∈ A is called

a minimal element of A if none
of the elements of A are strictly less
than n; in symbols,
 
Ex 1. If y={a,b, c,d,e} is ordered by
the adjoining diagram, then d and e
are minimal elements since in Y that
strictly precedes d or e. The maximal
element of A is “a”,

Ex 2. Let x = {a,b, c,d,e} is ordered

by the diagram, then e is the
minimal element of X.
Ex 3. Let V = {xI 0<x<1} then V has no
minimal nor maximal element

Note: minimal and maximal no,

need not to be unique
• DISTINGUISHED
ELEMENTS
• Totally Ordered
Sets
Definition An element a ∈ A is called
the greatest element of A if a≥ x for every
x ∈ A. An element b ∈ A is called the
least element of A if b≤ x for every x ∈
A.
It is easy to see that if A has a greatest
element, then this element is unique; for
suppose a and a′ are both greatest
elements of A.Then a a′ and a′ a; hence
a = a′. Analogously, the least element of
A is unique
 
20.Definition Let B be a subsets of A.
An upper bound of B in A is an element a ∈ A
such that a ≥x x ∈ B.A lower bound of B in A is
an element b ∈ A such that b ≤x x ∈ B.
“upper bound of B” - υ(B)
“lower bound of B” -λ(B).
• DISTINGUISHED
ELEMENTS
• Totally Ordered
Sets
 
Definition If the class of lower bounds of B in A has a greatest
element, then this element is called the
greatest lower bound of B in A if
i. * is a lower bound of B in A
ii. l * for all lower bounds in l of B.
If the class of upper bounds of B in A has a least element, then this
element is called the least upper bound of B in A if
iii. u* is upper bound of B in A
iv. For every upper bound u of B in A u *
The least upper bound (l.u.b.) of B in A is also called the
supremum of B in A (abbreviated supA B), and
the greatest lower bound (g.l.b.) of B in A is also called the
infinum of B in A (abbreviated infA B). When there is no risk of
ambiguity, we will write sup B for supA B, and inf B for infA B.
Figure 6 is the line diagram of a class that has maximal elements
but no greatest element (a and d are maximal elements).
In Fig. 7, let A ={a, b, c, d, e, f } and let B ={b, c, e, f }. B has
two upper bounds in A, namely a
and d, but no sup.
In Fig. 7, let A and B be defined as above, and let C ={a, b, c, e,
f } and D ={d, b, c, e, f }. Then B
has no sup in A, although supC B= a and supD B= d.

Fig. 6 Fig. 7
• DISTINGUISHED
ELEMENTS
• Totally Ordered
Sets
 
Ex3. Find the upperbound, lowerbound, supremum and
infimum for the given set
S={x/ l2x+1l

Ex4. Let Q be the set of rationals and

B={x/ x
Theorem 7.2 Let B be a subset of A, and suppose λ(B) has a sup
in A. Then B has an inf in A, and inf B=sup λ(B).
Theorem 7.3. The following two conditions are
equivalent
i. Every non-empty subset of A that is bounded above
has a supremum.
ii. Every non empty sets that is bounded below has an
infimum.
set Upper Supremu Maximu Bounde
bounds m m d
l.u.b. Greatest
Element
above?
[0,2] 2,2.1…..100… 2 2 yes
(0,2) 2,2.1,…..100.. 2 - yes
Z - - - no
• DISTINGUISHED
ELEMENTS
• Totally Ordered
Sets
 
4. Totally Ordered Sets (well ordered sets)
Partial is used in defining partial order in a set because
some element in A need to be comparable. If o thenn the
other hand, every two elements in a partially ordered set
are comparable. Then the partial order in A is called total
order A.

Definition 7.13. A total order in a set A is a partial order

in A with additional property that a<b, a=b or a>b,

Definition7.14 A set A together with a specific order n A

is called a totally ordered set.
 
Definition7.15 Let A be a partially ordered set. Then A is said
to be a totally ordered set if two element of A is comparable.
Theorem 7.4. let f: Afunction , where A is a totally ordered set
and B is partially ordered set. If f: A is bijective and
increasing, it is an isomorphism.
Definition 7.16. Let A be a partially ordered set. Then A is
said to be a well ordered set if every non-empty subset of A
has a least element.
• DISTINGUISHED
ELEMENTS
• Totally Ordered
Sets
 
Definition 7.17. Let be a partially ordered set and suppose a
an element b the immediate successor of a if
a

Definition7.18 If y is an element of partially ordered set A.

Then y is an immediate predecessor of x iff x is an immediate
successor of y.