A New Set Theory for Analysis

Abstract

We provide a canonical construction of the natural numbers in the universe of sets. Then, the power set of the natural numbers is given the structure of the real number system. For this, we prove the co-finite topology, C o f ( N ) , is isomorphic to the natural numbers. Then, we prove the power set of integers, 2 Z , contains a subset isomorphic to the non-negative real numbers, with all its defining structures of operations and order. We use these results to give the power set, 2 N , the structure of the real number system. We give simple rules for calculating addition, multiplication, subtraction, division, powers and rational powers of real numbers, and logarithms. Supremum and infimum functions are explicitly constructed, also. Section 6 contains the main results. We propose a new axiomatic basis for analysis, which represents real numbers as sets of natural numbers. We answer Benacerraf’s identification problem by giving a canonical representation of natural numbers, and then real numbers, in the universe of sets. In the last section, we provide a series of graphic representations and physical models of the real number system. We conclude that the system of real numbers is completely defined by the order structure of natural numbers and the operations in the universe of sets.