Upper and lower bounds

This article is about precise bounds. For asymptotic 2 Bounds of functions

bounds, see Big O notation.
In mathematics, especially in order theory, an upper The denitions can be generalized to functions and even
sets of functions.
Given a function f with domain D and a partially ordered
set (K, ) as codomain, an element y of K is an upper
bound of f if y f(x) for each x in D. The upper bound
is called sharp if equality holds for at least one value of
x.

set M

supremum = least
upper bound

upper bounds of M

Function g dened on domain D and having the same

codomain (K, ) is an upper bound of f if g(x) f(x)
for each x in D.

A set with upper bounds and its least upper bound.

Function g is further said to be an upper bound of a set of

bound of a subset S of some partially ordered set (K, functions if it is an upper bound of each function in that
) is an element of K which is greater than or equal to set.
every element of S.[1] The term lower bound is dened The notion of lower bound for (sets of) functions is dedually as an element of K which is less than or equal to ned analogously, with replacing .
every element of S. A set with an upper bound is said
to be bounded from above by that bound, a set with a
lower bound is said to be bounded from below by that
3 Tight bounds
bound. The terms bounded above (bounded below) are
also used in the mathematical literature for sets that have
An upper bound is said to be a tight upper bound, a least
upper (respectively lower) bounds.
upper bound, or a supremum if no smaller value is an upper bound. Similarly a lower bound is said to be a tight
lower bound, a greatest lower bound, or an inmum if no
greater value is a lower bound.

Examples

4 References

For example, 5 is a lower bound for the set { 5, 8, 42, 34,

13934 }; so is 4; but 6 is not.

[1] Mac Lane, Saunders; Birkho, Garrett (1991). Algebra.

Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society. p. 145.
ISBN 0-8218-1646-2.

Another example: for the set { 42 }, the number 42 is

both an upper bound and a lower bound; all other real
numbers are either an upper bound or a lower bound for
that set.
Every subset of the natural numbers has a lower bound,
since the natural numbers have a least element (0, or 1 depending on the exact denition of natural numbers). An
innite subset of the natural numbers cannot be bounded
from above. An innite subset of the integers may be
bounded from below or bounded from above, but not
both. An innite subset of the rational numbers may or
may not be bounded from below and may or may not be
bounded from above.
Every nite subset of a non-empty totally ordered set has
both upper and lower bounds.
1

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