In mathematics, especially in order theory, the cofinality cf(A) of a partially ordered set A is the least of the cardinalities of the cofinal subsets of A.

This definition of cofinality relies on the axiom of choice, as it uses the fact that every non-empty set of cardinal numbers has a least member. The cofinality of a partially ordered set A can alternatively be defined as the least ordinal x such that there is a function from x to A with cofinal image. This second definition makes sense without the axiom of choice. If the axiom of choice is assumed, as will be the case in the rest of this article, then the two definitions are equivalent.

Cofinality can be similarly defined for a directed set and is used to generalize the notion of a subsequence in a net.

Examples

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• The cofinality of a partially ordered set with greatest element is 1 as the set consisting only of the greatest element is cofinal and must be contained in every other cofinal subset.
  • In particular, the cofinality of any nonzero finite ordinal, or indeed any finite directed set, is 1, since such sets have a greatest element.
• Every cofinal subset of a partially ordered set must contain all maximal elements of that set. Thus the cofinality of a finite partially ordered set is equal to the number of its maximal elements.
  • In particular, let A be a set of order n, and consider the set of subsets of A with order less than or equal to m. This is a partial order under inclusion and the subsets of order m are maximal. Thus the cofinality of this poset is n choose m.
• A subset of the natural numbers N is cofinal in N if and only if it is infinite, and therefore the cofinality of $\backslash aleph\_0$ is $\backslash aleph\_0$. Thus $\backslash aleph\_0$ is a regular cardinal.
• The cofinality of the real numbers with their usual ordering is $\backslash aleph\_0$, since N is cofinal in R. The usual ordering of R is not order isomorphic to c, the cardinality of the real numbers, which has cofinality strictly greater than $\backslash aleph\_0$. This demonstrates that the cofinality depends on the order; different orders on the same set may have different cofinality.

Properties

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If A admits a totally ordered cofinal subset, then we can find a subset B which is well-ordered and cofinal in A. Any subset of B is also well-ordered. If two cofinal subsets of B have minimal cardinality (i.e. their cardinality is the cofinality of B), then they are order isomorphic to each other.

Cofinality of ordinals and other well-ordered sets

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The cofinality of an ordinal $\backslash alpha$ is the smallest ordinal $\backslash delta$ which is the order type of a cofinal subset of $\backslash alpha$. The cofinality of a set of ordinals or any other well-ordered set is the cofinality of the order type of that set.

Thus for a limit ordinal, there exists a $\backslash delta$-indexed strictly increasing sequence with limit $\backslash alpha$. For example, the cofinality of ω² is ω, because the sequence ω·m (where m ranges over the natural numbers) tends to ω²; but, more generally, any countable limit ordinal has cofinality ω. An uncountable limit ordinal may have either cofinality ω as does $\backslash omega\_\backslash omega$ or an uncountable cofinality.

The cofinality of 0 is 0. The cofinality of any successor ordinal is 1. The cofinality of any limit ordinal is at least $\backslash omega$.

Regular and singular ordinals

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A regular ordinal is an ordinal which is equal to its cofinality. A singular ordinal is any ordinal which is not regular.

Every regular ordinal is the initial ordinal of a cardinal. Any limit of regular ordinals is a limit of initial ordinals and thus is also initial but need not be regular. Assuming the Axiom of choice, $\backslash omega\_\{\backslash alpha+1\}$ is regular for each α. In this case, the ordinals 0, 1, $\backslash omega$, $\backslash omega\_1$, and $\backslash omega\_2$ are regular, whereas 2, 3, $\backslash omega\_\backslash omega$, and ω_ω·2 are initial ordinals which are not regular.

The cofinality of any ordinal α is a regular ordinal, i.e. the cofinality of the cofinality of α is the same as the cofinality of α. So the cofinality operation is idempotent.

Cofinality of cardinals

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If κ is an infinite cardinal number, then cf(κ) is the least cardinal such that there is an unbounded function from it to κ; and cf(κ) = the cardinality of the smallest collection of sets of strictly smaller cardinals such that their sum is κ; more precisely

That the set above is nonempty comes from the fact that

$\backslash kappa\; =\; \backslash bigcup\_\{i\; \backslash in\; \backslash kappa\}\; \backslash \{i\backslash \}$

i.e. the disjoint union of κ singleton sets. This implies immediately that cf(κ) ≤ κ. The cofinality of any totally ordered set is regular, so one has cf(κ) = cf(cf(κ)).

Using König's theorem, one can prove κ < κ^cf(κ) and κ < cf(2^κ) for any infinite cardinal κ.

The last inequality implies that the cofinality of the cardinality of the continuum must be uncountable. On the other hand,

.

the ordinal number ω being the first infinite ordinal, so that the cofinality of $\backslash aleph\_\backslash omega$ is card(ω) = $\backslash aleph\_0$. (In particular, $\backslash aleph\_\backslash omega$ is singular.) Therefore,

$2^\{\backslash aleph\_0\}\backslash neq\backslash aleph\_\backslash omega,$

(Compare to the continuum hypothesis, which states $2^\{\backslash aleph\_0\}=\; \backslash aleph\_1$.)

Generalizing this argument, one can prove that for a limit ordinal δ

$\backslash mathrm\{cf\}\; (\backslash aleph\_\backslash delta)\; =\; \backslash mathrm\{cf\}\; (\backslash delta)$.

See also

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• Initial ordinal

References

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Order theory | Set theory | Ordinal numbers | Cardinal numbers