Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-g5fl4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-28T21:02:00.321Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

On well-quasi-ordering transfinite sequences

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 October 2008

C. St. J. A. Nash-Williams
Affiliation:
University of Aberdeen

Abstract

. Let Q be a well-quasi-ordered set, i.e. a set on which a reflexive and transitive relation ≤ is defined and such that, for every infinite sequence q1,q2,… of elements of Q, there exist i and j such that i < j and qiqi. A restricted transfinite sequence on Q is a function from a well-ordered set onto a finite subset of Q. If f, g are restricted transfinite sequences on Q with domains A, B respectively and there exists a one-to-one order-preserving mapping μ of A into B such that f(α) ≤ h(μ(α)) for every α ∈ A, we write fg. It is proved that this rule well-quasi-orders the set of restricted transfinite sequences on Q. The proof uses the following subsidiary theorem, which is a generalization of a classical theorem of Ramsey (4). Let P be the set of positive integers, and A(I) denote the set of ascending finite sequences of elements of a subset I of P. If s, tA(P), write st if, for some m, the terms of s are the first m terms of t. Let T1,…,Tn be disjoint subsets of A(P) whose union T does not include two distinct sequences s, t such that st. Then there exists an infinite subset I of P such that TA(I)is contained in a single Tj.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge Philosophical Society 1965

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

(1)Erdős, P. and Rado, R.A theorem on partial well-ordering of sets of vectors. J. London Math. Soc. 34 (1959), 222224.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
(2)Higman, G.Ordering by divisibility in abstract algebras. Proc. London Math. Soc. (3), 2 (1952), 326336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
(3)Rado, R.Partial well-ordering of sets of vectors. Mathemalika 1 (1954), 8995.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
(4)Ramsey, F. P.On a problem of formal logic. Proc. London Math. Soc. (2), 30 (1930), 264286.CrossRefGoogle Scholar