Let $(T,\leq)$ be a tree of height $\kappa$ ($\kappa$ infinite cardinal), all levels of which are finite. Prove that $T$ has a branch of length $\kappa$. A hint is given: Let $U_\alpha=\{x\in T_\alpha\mid |\{y\in T\mid x\leq y\}|=\kappa\}$. Prove that $\{|U_\alpha|\mid\alpha<\kappa\}\subseteq\mathbb{N}$ is bounded. Let $m$ be its maximum ($m\geq 1$). Show $T$ has exactly $m$ branches of length $\kappa$. (Exercise 3.3, Ch 12 from Introduction to Set Theory by Hrbacek and Jech.)
First of all, can we think of $T$ as some subtree of $\kappa^{<\omega}$ or relate it to some $\theta^{<\lambda}$? I'm not really sure how to form the correspondence.
I don't see what goes wrong if $\{|U_\alpha|\mid\alpha<\kappa\}\subseteq\mathbb{N}$ is unbounded. We get a countable set of distinct nodes, with each node having $\kappa$-many nodes above it; does that give us a subset of $T$ with size greater than $\kappa$?
I'm new to this and I'm quite confused. Thanks in advance for any help.
The hint actually does make a misleading oversight. In fact, it not generally true that $|U_\alpha|$ is bounded. First off, there is clearly a counterexample with height $\omega$: simply take a binary tree of that height. But it fails for some larger heights as well. For instance, we can make a tree of height $\aleph_\omega$ that starts with one branch, splits into two branches at level $\aleph_1,$ then the two branches each split into two at $\aleph_2,$ and so on. Then, it's clear that $|U_\alpha|$ is unbounded, but the levels are all finite. A similar counterexample will work whenever the height $\kappa$ has cofinality $\omega.$
But notice these counterexamples still have a branch of length $\kappa.$ In fact, we can see for $cf(\kappa) =\omega$ that we will always have a branch of length $\kappa,$ by just repeating the argument for Konig's lemma on a cofinal sequence of levels. So the theorem is still true for these $\kappa,$ even if the hint is not.
On the other hand, if $cf(\kappa) > \omega,$ then $|U_\alpha|$ is bounded like the hint suggests. Otherwise let $\alpha_n$ be the smallest level such that $|U_\alpha|\ge n.$ Then $\alpha_n$ will be a cofinal sequence in $\kappa$, contradicting $cf(\kappa) > \omega.$