Surreal numbers

E29943

Surreal numbers are a class of numbers introduced by John H. Conway that form an extensive ordered field encompassing the real numbers, infinite quantities, and infinitesimals within a unified framework.


Statements (48)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Conway number
number system
ordered field
proper class
alternativeName Conway numbers
birthProcess numbers are created in stages indexed by ordinals
constructedFrom left set and right set of earlier numbers
containsAsSubfield ordinal numbers
real numbers
containsElement -1
0
1
1/ω (a positive infinitesimal)
all dyadic rationals
all ordinal numbers
all real numbers
ω (first infinite ordinal as a number)
definedBy transfinite recursion
extends ordered fields
real numbers
generalizes Dedekind-complete ordered fields
hasCanonicalForm Conway normal form
hasOrderType proper class length
hasProperty every set of surreals has a greatest lower bound
every set of surreals has a least upper bound
no maximal element
no minimal element other than zero
real-closed field
totally ordered
hasSubset day-n numbers (numbers born on day n in the construction)
includes infinite numbers
infinitesimal numbers
introducedBy John Horton Conway
introducedInPublication On Numbers and Games
introducedInYear 1974
isClassOf all numbers generated from the empty set by Conway’s rules
isModelOf ordered field axioms
real-closed field axioms
relatedConcept Hahn series
hyperreal numbers
nonstandard analysis
satisfiesCondition every left element is less than every right element
supportsOperation addition
division
exponentiation (partial)
multiplication
subtraction
usedIn combinatorial game theory

Referenced by (7)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Donald E. Knuth ("Surreal Numbers")
John H. Conway
John H. Conway
John Horton Conway
notableWork
Surreal numbers ("Conway numbers")
alternativeName
Surreal numbers ("Conway normal form")
hasCanonicalForm
On Numbers and Games ("surreal numbers")
topic

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