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CounterexampleConstruction: Literature-sourcedVerification: AI-adaptedprecheck passverified 2026-08-13 (gpt-5.6-terra-codex-subscription)
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Not every ordered field is Archimedean

Statement refuted

Refuted claim: every ordered field is Archimedean, that is, in every ordered field F each x∈F satisfies x<n⋅1F for some natural number n.

The witness is R(t), the field of rational functions over R, ordered so that f>0 exactly when f(x)>0 for all sufficiently large real x. In this ordered field the element t exceeds every canonical natural number, so the naturals are not cofinal.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: R(t), the field of fractions of the polynomial ring R[t] (constructed at For a field F, F(t)=Frac⁡(F[t]) is its rational function field; in particular R(t)=Frac⁡(R[t]) ↗), and the set P={f∈R(t):f≠0 and f(x)>0 for all sufficiently large real x}.

[L1]

An ordered field is a field with a positive cone P satisfying trichotomy (for each nonzero x, exactly one of x∈P, −x∈P) and closure of P under addition and multiplication; then a<b means b−a∈P (Ordered field).

[L2]

An ordered field F is Archimedean when for every x∈F there is a natural number n with x<n⋅1F, equivalently the canonical naturals n⋅1F are cofinal (Archimedean ordered field).

[L3]

Every complete ordered field is Archimedean (Every complete ordered field is Archimedean).

[L4]

R is a totally ordered field (The reals form a totally ordered field).

Counterexample

technique · direct
1.1givenL4algebra

Let f=p/q≠0, where p(x)=amxm+⋯+a0 and q(x)=bnxn+⋯+b0 have nonzero leading coefficients. For x>1, dividing by the leading terms gives p(x)=amxm(1+∑i<m(ai/am)xi−m) and the analogous formula for q. If x is larger than 1 plus the sums of the absolute values of the lower coefficient ratios, then both lower-term sums have absolute value less than 1. Thus p(x) and q(x) eventually have the signs of am and bn, respectively, and f(x) has the constant nonzero eventual sign of am/bn. Hence exactly one of f∈P and −f∈P holds.

1.2givenalgebra

If f,g∈P then f(x)>0 and g(x)>0 for all large x, so (f+g)(x)>0 and (fg)(x)>0 for all large x, giving f+g∈P and fg∈P.

1.3givenalgebra

For each natural number n the rational function t−n⋅1=t−n satisfies (t−n)(x)=x−n>0 for all x>n, so t−n∈P.

2.1step 1.1step 1.2L1

By the trichotomy of step 1.1 and the closure of step 1.2, P is a positive cone, so R(t) is an ordered field.

2.2step 1.3L1

By step 1.3, t−n⋅1∈P for every natural n, which by [L1] means n⋅1<t for every natural n.

3.1step 2.1step 2.2L2

In the ordered field R(t) the element t satisfies n⋅1<t for every natural n (step 2.2), so no natural n has t<n⋅1; the canonical naturals are not cofinal and R(t) is not Archimedean, refuting the claim that every ordered field is Archimedean.

4.1step 3.1L3∎

This is consistent with [L3], whose contrapositive states that a non-Archimedean ordered field cannot be complete: R(t) is an ordered field that is not complete.

Depends on

Dependency tree · 2 levels

Sources