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False statementConstruction: AI-adaptedVerification: AI-adaptedSession-authored (Fable 5 assisted)precheck passjudge pass (z-ai/glm-5.2)audited 2026-07-29
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FALSE: β<γ\beta < \gamma implies β+α<γ+α\beta + \alpha < \gamma + \alpha

Statement

FALSE. Ordinal addition (Ordinal addition α+β\alpha + \beta) is strictly increasing in its left argument:

β<γ  β+α<γ+αfor all ordinals α,β,γ.\beta < \gamma \ \Longrightarrow \ \beta + \alpha < \gamma + \alpha \qquad \text{for all ordinals } \alpha, \beta, \gamma.

What is true is the weak inequality βγβ+αγ+α\beta \le \gamma \Rightarrow \beta + \alpha \le \gamma + \alpha, which is claim (c) of Monotonicity of ordinal ++ and \cdot: strictly increasing and continuous in the right argument, weakly increasing in the left, with left cancellation, and the identities 0+β=β0 + \beta = \beta and 1β=β1 \cdot \beta = \beta. The strict version fails already at β=0\beta = 0, γ=1\gamma = 1, α=ω\alpha = \omega, so the weak form is best possible. Right cancellation fails with it: 0+ω=1+ω0 + \omega = 1 + \omega with 010 \ne 1.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: The ordinals with the operation of Ordinal addition α+β\alpha + \beta, and ω\omega the least limit ordinal (ω\omega is the least limit ordinal, Successor and limit ordinals).

[L1]

α+0=α\alpha + 0 = \alpha, α+δ+=(α+δ)+\alpha + \delta^{+} = (\alpha + \delta)^{+}, and α+λ={α+ξ:ξλ}\alpha + \lambda = \bigcup\{\alpha + \xi : \xi \in \lambda\} for limit λ\lambda (Ordinal addition α+β\alpha + \beta).

[L4]

ω\omega is a limit ordinal, so ω=ω\bigcup \omega = \omega (ω\omega is the least limit ordinal, Successor and limit ordinals); every ordinal is transitive, μν\mu \subseteq \nu iff μν\mu \in \nu or μ=ν\mu = \nu, and μμ\mu \notin \mu (Ordinal (von Neumann), Basic closure properties of ordinals, Trichotomy and well-ordering of the ordinals); and 010 \in 1, so 0<10 < 1.

Refutation

technique · direct
1.1

For every nωn \in \omega the ordinal 1+n1 + n lies in ω\omega by [L3], hence 1+nω1 + n \subseteq \omega by [L4]; and n1+nn \le 1 + n by [L2], hence n1+nn \subseteq 1 + n.

L2L3L4
1.2

0+ω=ω0 + \omega = \omega by [L2].

L1L2
2.1

1+ω={1+n:nω}1 + \omega = \bigcup\{1 + n : n \in \omega\} by [L1], and that union equals ω\omega: it is contained in ω\omega because each 1+nω1 + n \subseteq \omega by step 1.1, and it contains ω\omega because ω=ω={n:nω}\omega = \bigcup \omega = \bigcup\{n : n \in \omega\} by [L4] and each n1+nn \subseteq 1 + n by step 1.1.

step 1.1L1L4
3.1

So 0<10 < 1 while 0+ω=ω=1+ω0 + \omega = \omega = 1 + \omega, which refutes the strict inequality and also refutes right cancellation, since 010 \ne 1.

step 2.1step 1.2L4

Remarks

Why the left argument is the weak side. The recursion of Ordinal addition α+β\alpha + \beta runs on the right argument, and at a limit it takes a supremum; a finite head placed on the left is swallowed by that supremum. Concretely, prepending finitely many points to a copy of ω\omega gives a copy of ω\omega again. On the right nothing is swallowed, and there the inequality really is strict, which is claim (b) of Monotonicity of ordinal ++ and \cdot: strictly increasing and continuous in the right argument, weakly increasing in the left, with left cancellation, and the identities 0+β=β0 + \beta = \beta and 1β=β1 \cdot \beta = \beta.

How much can be lost on the left. As much as one likes below the limit: n+ω=ωn + \omega = \omega for every nωn \in \omega, by the same computation as step 2.1 with 11 replaced by nn. So the map ββ+ω\beta \mapsto \beta + \omega is constant on ω\omega and collapses infinitely many values.

Left cancellation is unaffected. α+β=α+γ\alpha + \beta = \alpha + \gamma still forces β=γ\beta = \gamma, because addition is strictly increasing in the right argument. The two cancellation laws are not a package, and this item is exactly the difference.

Depends on

Used by

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Sources