The back and forth method and countable dense linear orders #
Results #
Suppose α β are linear orders, with α countable and β dense, nontrivial. Then there is an
order embedding α ↪ β. If in addition α is dense, nonempty, without endpoints and β is
countable, without endpoints, then we can upgrade this to an order isomorphism α ≃ β.
The idea for both results is to consider "partial isomorphisms", which identify a finite subset of
α with a finite subset of β, and prove that for any such partial isomorphism f and a : α, we
can extend f to include a in its domain.
References #
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back-and-forth_method
Tags #
back and forth, dense, countable, order
Suppose α is a nonempty dense linear order without endpoints, and
suppose lo, hi, are finite subssets with all of lo strictly
before hi. Then there is an element of α strictly between lo
and hi.
The type of partial order isomorphisms between α and β defined on finite subsets.
A partial order isomorphism is encoded as a finite subset of α × β, consisting
of pairs which should be identified.
Equations
Instances for order.partial_iso
For each a, we can find a b in the codomain, such that a's relation to
the domain of f is b's relation to the image of f.
Thus, if a is not already in f, then we can extend f by sending a to b.
A partial isomorphism between α and β is also a partial isomorphism between β and α.
Equations
- order.partial_iso.comm = subtype.map (finset.image ⇑(equiv.prod_comm α β)) order.partial_iso.comm._proof_1
The set of partial isomorphisms defined at a : α, together with a proof that any
partial isomorphism can be extended to one defined at a.
Equations
- order.partial_iso.defined_at_left β a = {carrier := λ (f : order.partial_iso α β), ∃ (b : β), (a, b) ∈ f.val, mem_gt := _}
The set of partial isomorphisms defined at b : β, together with a proof that any
partial isomorphism can be extended to include b. We prove this by symmetry.
Equations
- order.partial_iso.defined_at_right α b = {carrier := λ (f : order.partial_iso α β), ∃ (a : α), (a, b) ∈ f.val, mem_gt := _}
Given an ideal which intersects defined_at_left β a, pick b : β such that
some partial function in the ideal maps a to b.
Given an ideal which intersects defined_at_right α b, pick a : α such that
some partial function in the ideal maps a to b.
Any countable linear order embeds in any nontrivial dense linear order.
Any two countable dense, nonempty linear orders without endpoints are order isomorphic.