Alphabeta Math
False statementConstruction: AI-adaptedVerification: AI-generatedprecheck passjudge pass (openai/gpt-5.4)audited 2026-07-24
How statement and proof provenance work

The first chip identifies the source of the statement or construction; the second identifies the source of its local proof or verification.

  • Literature-sourced: the exact statement appears in a cited source; only wording and notation differ.
  • AI-adapted: a semantically identical restatement of literature-sourced material, modulo indexing, notation, and boundary cases adopted by the library.
  • AI-generated: a genuinely novel statement formulated by AI, with no source for the claim itself.

These labels describe origin, not correctness: citations and verification chips remain separate evidence.

FALSE: the rationals are complete

Statement

False claim: every Cauchy sequence of rationals converges to a rational (where (an)→q means (an−q) is null).

This is precisely the defect the construction of R repairs.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: The decimal truncations of 2, built below.

[A1]

In N: for each n there is a largest natural k with k2≤2⋅102n (only finitely many candidates, since k>2⋅10n already fails); and n<10n.

[L2]

No rational squares to 2 (FALSE: some rational number squares to 2).

[L3]

A constant sequence is null only if the constant is 0; sums of null sequences are null; a Cauchy multiple of a null sequence is null (Null sequence, Null sequences form an ideal).

[L4]

Archimedean property, so 10−n falls below any positive rational (The rationals are Archimedean).

Refutation

technique · direct
1.1

For each n let kn be the largest natural with kn2≤2⋅102n, and set sn=kn/10n; then sn2≤2<(sn+10−n)2, and sn≤2 (since kn2≤2⋅102n<(2⋅10n)2).

A1L1
2.1

(sn) is Cauchy: for m≥n, (10m−nkn)2≤2⋅102m gives 10m−nkn≤km, so sn≤sm; and sm2≤2<(sn+10−n)2 forces sm<sn+10−n; hence 0≤sm−sn<10−n, and 10−n eventually falls below any ε>0.

step 1.1L1L4
2.2

(sn2−2) is null: 0≤2−sn2<(sn+10−n)2−sn2=10−n(2sn+10−n)≤5⋅10−n.

step 1.1L1L4
3.1

If (sn) converged to a rational q, then (sn−q) would be null; since (sn+q) is Cauchy, (sn2−q2)=(sn−q)(sn+q) would be null; adding the null (2−sn2), the constant 2−q2 would be null, forcing q2=2.

step 2.1step 2.2L3L1
4.1

No rational squares to 2, so (sn) is a Cauchy sequence of rationals with no rational limit: the claim is refuted.

step 3.1step 2.1L2∎

Depends on

Used by

Dependency tree · two levels

17 results within two dependency steps of this one, each drawn at its shortest distance from it. An arrow runs from a result to what uses it, so the chart reads left to right and ends at this result, which carries a heavier outline. Every node is a link to that result. Click elsewhere on the chart to enlarge it.

Sources