# Cofinality

## Idea

The cofinality of a quoset (quasi-ordered set) is a measure of the size of the quoset and in particular of the size of its tails. An important special case is the cofinality of an ordinal number, and there is a related concept of the cofinality of a cardinal number.

## Definitions

We begin with definitions that work even in weak foundations of mathematics.

Given a quasi-ordered set $Q$, the cofinality of $Q$ is the collection of all cardinal numbers $\kappa$ such that every function $f\colon [\kappa] \to Q$ (where $[\kappa]$ is any set of cardinality $\kappa$) has a (strict) upper bound: an element $x$ of $Q$ such that, whenever $y$ belongs to the image of $f$, $y \lt x$. A priori, this collection $Cf(Q)$ may be a proper class, but it is often a set, indeed always in classical mathematics (as shown below). We traditionally write $\kappa \lt cf(Q)$ to mean $\kappa \in Cf(Q)$ (for reasons to be seen below).

The ordinal cofinality of $Q$ is the collection $Ocf(Q)$ of all ordinal numbers $\alpha$ such that ${|\alpha|} \lt cf(Q)$. This collection is clearly a down-set and so may be identified with an ordinal number $\ocf(Q)$, also called the ordinal cofinality; so we may write $\alpha \lt ocf(Q)$ in place of $\alpha \in Ocf(Q)$, although traditionally we simply write $\alpha \lt cf(Q)$.

If we start with a collection $C$ of cardinal numbers, the cardinal cofinality of $C$ is the collection $Ccf(C)$ of all cardinal numbers $\kappa$ such that, given any $[\kappa]$-indexed family $F$ of sets, each of which has cardinality in $C$, the disjoint union of this family (or equivalently the union in a material set theory) also has cardinality in $C$. Again we write $\kappa \lt ccf(C)$ or even $\kappa \lt cf(C)$ to mean $\kappa \in Ccf(C)$.

## Identifications

Assume the axiom of choice. Then we may identify and simplify some of the concepts above.

• As a class of cardinal numbers, $cf(Q)$ is clearly a down-set (that is closed under subsets), so it must be the set $\{\kappa \;|\; \kappa \lt cf(Q)\}$ for some cardinal number $cf(Q)$, also called the cofinality. (Note that $cf(Q) \leq {|Q|}$, equivalently ${|Q|} \nless cf(Q)$, since the identity function $Q \to Q$ has no upper bound, so in particular we are not dealing with proper classes.) In this case, we conclude that there is a function $[cf(Q)] \to Q$ that has no strong upper bound, and that $cf(Q)$ is the smallest cardinal number with this property, which is the usual definition. Assuming that $Q$ is a linear order, it follows that the image of some function $[cf(Q)] \to Q$ is cofinal? in $Q$ (whence the terminology).

• Using the identification of cardinal numbers with certain von Neumann ordinals, the ordinal cofinality $Ocf(Q)$ or $ocf(Q)$ becomes identified with the classical cofinality $cf(Q)$. (But note that $Cf(Q)$, the collection of cardinal numbers, is only a subset of $Ocf(Q)$ when we identify cardinals as certain ordinals.)

• Every cardinal cofinality $Ccf(C)$ is also a down-set of cardinal numbers, hence of the form $\{\kappa \;|\; \kappa \lt ccf(C)\}$ for some cardinal number $ccf(C)$. Furthermore, if we start with a cardinal number $\lambda$ and define the collection $C_\lambda \coloneqq \{\kappa \;|\; \kappa \lt \lambda\}$ of cardinal numbers, then $cf([\lambda]) = ccf(C_\lambda)$. If we identify $\lambda$ with a von Neumann ordinal, then we also have $cf([\lambda]) = ocf(\lambda)$, so all notions of cofinality agree.

## Properties

Here is an important theorem on ordinal cofinality, which following our definitions is entirely constructive:

$ocf(ocf(Q)) = ocf(Q) .$

In general, an ordinal number $\alpha$ such that $ocf(\alpha) = \alpha$ is called regular, so every ordinal cofinality is regular. For example, $0$, $1$, and $\omega$ are regular ordinals.

A regular cardinal may be defined to be a collection of cardinals $C$ such that $Ccf(C) = C$. Assuming the axiom of choice and making identifications as above, the regular cardinals and the regular ordinals are the same, except that $2$ is a regular cardinal (but not a regular ordinal). Also, $\{1\}$ is a regular collection of cardinals that is not a down-set, although every other regular cardinal is (and so can be identified with a cardinal number), classically.

Traditionally, one requires a regular ordinal or cardinal to be infinite, and thus classically they are the same with no exceptions.

Revised on July 29, 2014 21:02:08 by Toby Bartels (98.19.42.133)