A well-ordered set

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March 9th 2010, 11:15 AM
novice

A well-ordered set

If $A$ is any well-ordered set of real numbers, then every subset of $A$ has a least element. If $B$ is a nonempty subset of $A$ , then $B$ has a least element.

Question: Since $A$ is well ordered and $B$ has a least element, and since having a least element is not a sufficient condition for a nonempty set to be well-ordered, does it mean that $B$ is not necessarily well-ordered?
March 9th 2010, 11:31 AM
Plato

Quote:

Originally Posted by novice

If $A$ is any well-ordered set of real numbers, then every subset of $A$ has a least element. If $B$ is a nonempty subset of $A$ , then $B$ has a least element.

Question: Since $A$ is well ordered and $B$ has a least element, and since having a least element is not a sufficient condition for a nonempty set to be well-ordered, does it mean that $B$ is not necessarily well-ordered?

If $B\subseteq A$ , is it true that each subset of $B$ is a subset of $A?$
March 9th 2010, 12:00 PM
novice

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plato

If $B\subseteq A$ , is it true that each subset of $B$ is a subset of $A?$

Beside it being a subset of $A$ , what is the reason to believe the set $B$ is well-ordered?
March 9th 2010, 12:56 PM
novice

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plato

If $B\subseteq A$ , is it true that each subset of $B$ is a subset of $A?$

Plato,

I honestly have spent the entire time, since your last reply, thinking of the question you put forth. I think I know what you were trying to show me, but I want to know if I understood it well.

Here is the answer:

Since the set $A$ of real numbers is a well-ordered set, by definition, every subset of $A$ must have a least element, and since $B$ is a subset of A, it follows that every subset of $B$ is a subset of $A$ containing a least element. In turn, every subset of $B$ has a least element. Consequently, by the same definition, $B$ is a well-ordered set.

I think you can be proud of me.
March 9th 2010, 01:12 PM
Plato

Remember it is every nonempty subset...
March 9th 2010, 01:22 PM
novice

Thank you, Plato, I will remember not to leave out the word "non-empty,"

Oh, I would have lost my case at court.