nLab sequential limit

Redirected from "sequential limits".

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Definition

A (co)sequential limit is a limit/colimit whose diagram category is the opposite of a nonzero ordinal regarded as a poset, regarded as a category. For instance over a tower diagram.

Sometimes the term is used even more specifically for a limit over the opposite of the ordinal $\omega$ .

Thus, a sequential limit is a special case of a (co)directed limit. See there for more details.

Sequential limits i.e. the tower-diagram

\array{ && && \lim_{\leftarrow_n} X(n) && \\ && &\swarrow& \downarrow & \searrow& \\ \cdots & \to & X(2) & \to & X(1) & \to & X(0) }

are extremely common. Classical examples occur in the theory of Postnikov towers and also in the definition of the solenoids, as well as projective limits.

A ring $K [ [ x ] ]$ of formal power series (for $K$ a field) is a sequential limit of the rings $K[x]/x^n$ (for $n$ a natural number).

Similarly, a ring $\mathbf{Z}_p$ of $p$ -adic integers (for $p$ a prime number) is a sequential limit of the rings $\mathbf{Z}/p^n$ .

A set of infinite sequences is a sequential limit of sets of finite sequences (which, at the level of sets, includes the above examples).

The axiom of dependent choice states that given a family of sets $X_n$ and a family of surjections $f_n:X_{n + 1} \to X_n$ indexed by natural numbers $n \in \mathbb{N}$ :

\array{ && && \lim_{\leftarrow_n} X_n && \\ && &\swarrow& \downarrow & \searrow& \\ \cdots & \underset{f_2}\to & X_2 & \underset{f_1}\to & X_1 & \underset{f_0}\to & X_0 }

the projection function to $X_0$ from the sequential limit $\underset{\leftarrow}\lim X_n$ of the above diagram is a surjection.

The version of the axiom of dependent choice using sequential limits can be found in:

Last revised on February 1, 2025 at 19:07:39. See the history of this page for a list of all contributions to it.