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76 votes
7 answers
33k views

Is an automorphism of the field of real numbers the identity map?

Is an automorphism of the field of real numbers $\mathbb{R}$ the identity map? If yes, how can we prove it? Remark An automorphism of $\mathbb{R}$ may not be continuous.
Makoto Kato's user avatar
  • 42.9k
9 votes
4 answers
2k views

Using Zorn's lemma show that $\mathbb R^+$ is the disjoint union of two sets closed under addition.

Let $\Bbb R^+$ be the set of positive real numbers. Use Zorn's Lemma to show that $\Bbb R^+$ is the union of two disjoint, non-empty subsets, each closed under addition.
Omar's user avatar
  • 517
13 votes
2 answers
532 views

Is there an "algebraic" way to construct the reals?

It's possible to construct $\mathbb{Q}$ from $\mathbb{Z}$ by constructing $\mathbb{Z}$'s field of fractions, and it's possible to construct $\mathbb{C}$ from $\mathbb{R}$ by adjoining $\sqrt{-1}$ to $\...
Bears's user avatar
  • 694
14 votes
2 answers
2k views

Finite dimensional division algebras over the reals other than $\mathbb{R},\mathbb{C},\mathbb{H},$ or $\mathbb{O}$

Have all the finite-dimensional division algebras over the reals been discovered/classified? The are many layman accessible sources on the web describing different properties of such algebras, but ...
PPenguin's user avatar
  • 940
9 votes
2 answers
1k views

Proving (without using complex numbers) that a real polynomial has a quadratic factor

The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra tells us that any polynomial with real coefficients can be written as a product of linear factors over $\mathbb{C}$. If we don't want to use $\mathbb{C}$, the best ...
mweiss's user avatar
  • 23.7k
10 votes
2 answers
1k views

Are the real numbers the unique Dedekind-complete ordered set?

A totally ordered set is Dedekind-complete if any subset which has an upper bound also has a least upper bound. Now any two ordered fields which are Dedekind-complete are order-isomorphic as well as ...
Keshav Srinivasan's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
1k views

How to define the operation of division apart from the inverse of multiplication?

Sorry if this question is too far out there, but I'm looking for a rigorous definition of the division operation. As I have seen it before, $a/b$ is the solution to the equation $a=xb$. While I am ...
Paddling Ghost's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
183 views

Two uncountable subsets of real numbers without any interval and two relations

Are there two uncountable subsets $A, B$ of real numbers such that: (1) $(A-A)\cap (B-B)=\{ 0\}$, (2) $(A-A)+B=\mathbb{R}$ or $(B-B)+A=\mathbb{R}$ ? We know that if one of them contains an interval,...
M.H.Hooshmand's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
710 views

$n$-dimensional integer space? Or $\{ \mathbf{x} \in \mathbb{R}^n | x_1, x_2, ..., x_n \in \mathbb{Z} \}$?

If $\mathbf{x} \in \mathbb{R}^n$, then we would have $x_1, x_2, ..., x_n \in \mathbb{R}$, right? This is commonly known as $n$-dimensional space. My question is, could we also have such a thing as $\...
The Pointer's user avatar
  • 4,312
2 votes
1 answer
195 views

Is this an isomorphism possible?

I am working on the following homework problem: Let $\phi$ be an isomorphism from $\mathbb{R}^*$ to $\mathbb{R}^*$ (nonzero reals under multiplication). Show that if $r>0$, then $\phi(r) > 0$. ...
NNN's user avatar
  • 1,852
1 vote
2 answers
267 views

real numbers of the form $\frac{m}{10^n} $ with $m,n \in \mathbb{Z} $ and $n \geq 0$ is dense in $\mathbb{R}$ . [duplicate]

Problem : Verify if the statement if true of false - The set $S$ of all real numbers of the form $\frac{m}{10^n} $ with $m,n \in \mathbb{Z} $ and $n \geq 0$ is dense in $\mathbb{R}$ . I think this ...
Suman Kundu's user avatar
  • 2,208
1 vote
3 answers
171 views

What are all different (non-isomorphic) field structures on $\mathbb R \times \mathbb R$

We know that $\mathbb R \times \mathbb R$ forms a field under addition and multiplication defined as $(a,b)+(c,d)=(a+c,b+d)$ ; $(a,b)*(c,d)=(ac-bd,ad+bc)$ ; is there any other way to make $\mathbb R \...
Souvik Dey's user avatar
  • 8,387
18 votes
3 answers
2k views

Why is it so hard to prove a number is transcendental?

While reading on Wikipedia about transcendental numbers, i asked myself: Why is it so hard and difficult to prove that $e +\pi, \pi - e, \pi e, \frac{\pi}{e}$ etc. are transcendental numbers? ...
aGer's user avatar
  • 1,154
14 votes
2 answers
554 views

Can $\mathbb{R}^{+}$ be divided into two disjoint sets so that each set is closed under both addition and multiplication?

Can $\mathbb{R}^{+}$ be divided into two disjoint nonempty sets so that each set is closed under both addition and multiplication? I know if we only require both sets to be closed under addition then ...
Elf's user avatar
  • 169
5 votes
3 answers
837 views

Is $\mathbb{Q}$ isomorphic to $\mathbb{Z^2}$?

Most of us are aware of the fact that $\mathbb{C}$ is isomorphic to $\mathbb{R^2}$, as we can define $\mathbb{C}$ as follows : $$\mathbb{C} := \left\{z : z=x+iy \ \ \ \text{where} \ \ \langle x,y \...
Perturbative's user avatar
  • 13.2k

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