Maximums of the Set \(A\)

Let AA be the set of numbers in (0,1)(0,1) whose decimal representations consist of only 00s and (finitely many) 11s. For example, 0.10.1 is in this set, as is 0.00111010.0011101 and 0.110010.11001.

Note that not every subset of AA has a maximum. For example, B={0.1,0.11,0.111,0.1111,}B=\{0.1,0.11,0.111,0.1111,\dots\} has no maximum. (It has a limit 0.1=190.\overline1=\frac19, but that's not in BB so it doesn't count.)

We can divide AA into pieces. Let A1A_1 be the set of numbers in AA with only one 11. That is, A1={,0.001,0.01,0.1}A_1=\{\dots,0.001,0.01,0.1\}. Let A2A_2 be the set of numbers in AA with exactly two 11s. That is, A2={,0.0101,0.011,,0.101,0.11}A_2=\{\dots,0.0101,0.011,\dots,0.101,0.11\}. More generally, let AnA_n be the set of numbers in AA with exactly nn 11s.

Note that A=A1A2A3A=A_1\cup A_2\cup A_3\cup\dotsb.

Prove that, for every nn, every subset of AnA_n has a maximum.

#Maximum #Sets #Decimals

Note by Akiva Weinberger
6 years, 1 month ago

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