Limit ordinal

In set theory, a limit ordinal is an ordinal number that is neither zero nor a successor ordinal. Alternatively, an ordinal λ is a limit ordinal if there is an ordinal less than λ, and whenever β is an ordinal less than λ, then there exists an ordinal γ such that β < γ < λ. Every ordinal number is either zero, or a successor ordinal, or a limit ordinal. For example, the smallest limit ordinal is ω, the smallest ordinal greater than every natural number. This is a limit ordinal because for any smaller ordinal (i.e., for any natural number) n we can find another natural number larger than it (e.g. n+1), but still less than ω. The next-smallest limit ordinal is ω+ω. This will be discussed further in the article. Using the von Neumann definition of ordinals, every ordinal is the well-ordered set of all smaller ordinals. The union of a nonempty set of ordinals that has no greatest element is then always a limit ordinal. Using von Neumann cardinal assignment, every infinite cardinal number is also a limit ordinal. Various other ways to define limit ordinals are: It is equal to the supremum of all the ordinals below it, but is not zero. (Compare with a successor ordinal: the set of ordinals below it has a maximum, so the supremum is this maximum, the previous ordinal.) It is not zero and has no maximum element. It can be written in the form ωα for α > 0. That is, in the Cantor normal form there is no finite number as last term, and the ordinal is nonzero. It is a limit point of the class of ordinal numbers, with respect to the order topology. (The other ordinals are isolated points.) Some contention exists on whether or not 0 should be classified as a limit ordinal, as it does not have an immediate predecessor; some textbooks include 0 in the class of limit ordinals while others exclude it. Because the class of ordinal numbers is well-ordered, there is a smallest infinite limit ordinal; denoted by ω (omega). The ordinal ω is also the smallest infinite ordinal (disregarding limit), as it is the least upper bound of the natural numbers.