{
  "aliases": null,
  "backlinks": null,
  "body": "\n## Proof\n\nWe argue by contradiction.\n\n1. Let $a \\le b$ and let $f \\colon [a, b] \\to \\R$ be [[continuous|0P27W9RW0G]]. Suppose that $f$ is not bounded.\n2. Then for each natural number $n$, the number $n$ is not a bound. So there is $x_n \\in [a, b]$ with $\\abs{f(x_n)} \u003e n$.\n3. The sequence $(x_n)$ satisfies $a \\le x_n \\le b$, so it is [[bounded|05FQ3VGAR9]]. By the [[Bolzano–Weierstrass theorem|0KDJD249DT]], it has a [[subsequence|0R8J3ZQMJS]] $(x_{n_k})$ that converges to some real $c$.\n4. Since $a \\le x_{n_k} \\le b$ for all $k$, [[limits preserve non-strict inequalities|0N32V0E3XJ]], with constant sequences, gives $a \\le c \\le b$.\n5. The function $f$ is continuous, so it is [[sequentially continuous|0MVDQEAB60]] by the [[equivalence|0PAQM3H57X]]. Hence $f(x_{n_k}) \\to f(c)$.\n6. The convergent sequence $(f(x_{n_k}))$ is [[bounded|0S4JF619V7]]: there is $K$ with $\\abs{f(x_{n_k})} \\le K$ for all $k$.\n7. The indices satisfy $n_0 \u003c n_1 \u003c \\cdots$. By induction on $k$, $n_k \\ge k$ for all $k$.\n8. By the [[Archimedean property|0A74SX55QP]], there is a natural number $k$ with $k \u003e K$.\n9. For this $k$, steps 2 and 7 give $\\abs{f(x_{n_k})} \u003e n_k \\ge k \u003e K$. This contradicts step 6.\n10. So $f$ is bounded: there is $K$ with $\\abs{f(x)} \\le K$ for all $x \\in [a, b]$.\n\n## Idea\n\nIf $f$ were unbounded, we could pick points where $\\abs{f}$ exceeds $1, 2, 3, \\dots$. These points have a convergent subsequence, and its limit stays in the closed interval. Continuity at that limit would force the values to converge, hence stay bounded, which they do not.\n",
  "commit": "4a3290d299c8b2cd6493fce2296920ba7f82d942",
  "front": {
    "kind": "proof",
    "msc": [
      "26A15"
    ],
    "name": "Proof of the boundedness theorem by Bolzano–Weierstrass",
    "proves": "0ATVXC3NCC",
    "sources": [
      {
        "locator": "Proof of the boundedness theorem",
        "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_value_theorem"
      }
    ],
    "tag": "WC9M3CNP02",
    "uses": [
      "0P27W9RW0G",
      "0KDJD249DT",
      "05FQ3VGAR9",
      "0R8J3ZQMJS",
      "0N32V0E3XJ",
      "0PAQM3H57X",
      "0MVDQEAB60",
      "0S4JF619V7",
      "0A74SX55QP"
    ]
  },
  "kind": "proof",
  "link": "https://math2.tamnd.com/node/WC9M3CNP02/",
  "links": [
    {
      "field": "proves",
      "target": "0ATVXC3NCC"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0P27W9RW0G"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0KDJD249DT"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "05FQ3VGAR9"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0R8J3ZQMJS"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0N32V0E3XJ"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0PAQM3H57X"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0MVDQEAB60"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0S4JF619V7"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0A74SX55QP"
    }
  ],
  "markdown": "https://math2.tamnd.com/node/WC9M3CNP02.md",
  "msc": [
    "26A15"
  ],
  "name": "Proof of the boundedness theorem by Bolzano–Weierstrass",
  "prov": null,
  "role": "",
  "source": "https://github.com/tamnd/math2/blob/main/nodes/WC9/WC9M3CNP02.md",
  "status": null,
  "tag": "WC9M3CNP02",
  "uri": "m2://WC9M3CNP02",
  "url": "https://math2.tamnd.com/wiki/proof-of-the-boundedness-theorem-by-bolzano-weierstrass/",
  "writing": {
    "tag": "WC9M3CNP02",
    "kind": "proof",
    "level": "W0",
    "next": [
      {
        "what": "an inventory row",
        "note": "the row of the inventory that the node accounts for",
        "have": 0,
        "want": 1
      }
    ]
  }
}
