Show that if $\kappa$ is an uncountable cardinal, then $\kappa$ is an epsilon number

Question

Firstly, I give the definition of the epsilon number:

$\alpha$ is called an epsilon number iff $\omega^\alpha=\alpha$.

Show that if $\kappa$ is an uncountable cardinal, then $\kappa$ is an epsilon number and there are $\kappa$ epsilon numbers below $\kappa$; In particular, the first epsilon number, called $\in_0$, is countable.

I've tried, however I have not any idea for this. Could anybody help me?

Answer 1

Here is a slightly easier way:

Lemma: For every $\alpha,\beta$ the ordinal exponentiation $\alpha^\beta$ has cardinality of at most $\max\{|\alpha|,|\beta|\}$.

Now use the definition of $\omega^\kappa=\sup\{\xi^\omega\mid\xi<\kappa\}$, since $|\xi|<\kappa$ we have that $\omega^\kappa\leq\kappa$, but since $\xi\leq\omega^\xi$ for all $\xi$, $\omega^\kappa=\kappa$.

---

Here is an alternative way (a variation on the above suggestion):

Lemma: If $\alpha$ is an infinite ordinal then there is some $\varepsilon_\gamma\geq\alpha$ such that $|\alpha|=|\varepsilon_\gamma|$

Hint for the proof: Use the fact that you need to close under countably many operations, and by the above Lemma none changes the cardinality.

Now show that the limit of $\varepsilon$ numbers is itself an $\varepsilon$ number, this is quite simple:

If $\beta=\sup\{\alpha_\gamma\mid\alpha_\gamma=\omega^{\alpha_\gamma}\text{ for }\gamma<\tau\}$ (for some $\tau$ that is) then by definition of ordinal exponentiation $$\omega^\beta=\sup\{\omega^{\alpha_\gamma}\mid\gamma<\tau\}=\sup\{\alpha_\gamma\mid\gamma<\tau\}=\beta$$

Now we have that below $\kappa$ there is a cofinal sequence of $\varepsilon$ numbers, therefore it is an $\varepsilon$ number itself; now by induction we show that there are $\kappa$ many of them:

• If $\kappa$ is regular then every cofinal subset has cardinality $\kappa$ and we are done;
• if $\kappa$ is singular there is an increasing sequence of regular cardinals $\kappa_i$, such that $\kappa = \sup\{\kappa_i\mid i\in I\}$. Below each one there are $\kappa_i$ many $\varepsilon$ numbers, therefore below $\kappa$ there is $\sup\{\kappa_i\mid i\in I\}=\kappa$ many $\varepsilon$ numbers.

Answer 2

The following is intended as a half-outline/half-solution.

We will prove by induction that every uncountable cardinal $\kappa$ is an $\epsilon$-number, and that the family $E_\kappa = \{ \alpha < \kappa : \omega^\alpha = \alpha \}$ has cardinality $\kappa$.

Suppose that $\kappa$ is an uncountable cardinal such that the two above facts are knows for every uncountable cardinal $\lambda < \kappa$.

• If $\kappa$ is a limit cardinal, note that in particular $\kappa$ is a limit of uncountable cardinals. By normality of ordinal exponentiation it follows that $$\omega^\kappa = \lim_{\lambda < \kappa} \omega^\lambda = \lim_{\lambda < \kappa} \lambda = \kappa,$$ where the limit is taken only over the uncountable cardinals $\lambda < \kappa$.

  Also, it follows that $E_\kappa = \bigcup_{\lambda < \kappa} E_\lambda$, and so $| E_\kappa | = \lim_{\lambda < \kappa} | E_\lambda | = \kappa$.

• If $\kappa$ is a successor cardinal, note that $\kappa$ is regular. Note, also, that every uncountable cardinal is an indecomposable ordinal. Therefore $\kappa = \omega^\delta$ for some (unique) ordinal $\delta$. As $\omega^\kappa \geq \kappa$, we know that $\delta \leq \kappa$. It suffices to show that $\omega^\beta < \kappa$ for all $\beta < \kappa$. We do this by induction: assume $\beta < \kappa$ is such that $\omega^\gamma < \kappa$ for all $\gamma < \beta$.

  • If $\beta = \gamma + 1$, note that $\omega^\beta = \omega^\gamma \cdot \omega = \lim_{n < \omega} \omega^\gamma \cdot n$. By indecomposability it follows that $\omega^\gamma \cdot n < \kappa$ for all $n < \omega$, and by regularity of $\kappa$ we have that $\{ \omega^\gamma \cdot n : n < \omega \}$ is bounded in $\kappa$.

  • If $\beta$ is a limit ordinal, then $\omega^\beta = \lim_{\gamma < \beta} \omega^\gamma$. Note by regularity of $\kappa$ that $\{ \omega^\gamma : \gamma < \beta \}$ must be bounded in $\kappa$.

  To show that $E_\kappa$ has cardinality $\kappa$, note that by starting with any ordinal $\alpha < \kappa$ and defining the sequence $\langle \alpha_n \rangle_{n < \omega}$ by $\alpha_0 = \alpha$ and $\alpha_{n+1} = \omega^{\alpha_n}$ we have that $\alpha_\omega = \lim_{n < \omega} \alpha_n < \kappa$ is an $\epsilon$-number. Use this fact to construct a strictly increasing $\kappa$-sequence of $\epsilon$-numbers less than $\kappa$.

(There must be an easier way, but I cannot think of it.)