78 Chapter 2
in X, or as a sequence of elements of X, denoted {xn}, where Xn is the
value of the function at n. More specifically, we write {xn}~, or {xn};'°,
according to whether the sequence is finite or infinite. The value Xn is
called the nth term of the sequence. Of course, the terms x 1 , x 2 , x 3 ,
of a sequence need not be distinct.
The range of a sequence is the set of points
{xn}* = {x: x E X,x = Xn for some n}
The reader should not confuse a sequence with its range. For instance, if
{xn} = {O, 1, 0, 1, ... }, the range is the finite set {xn} * = {O, 1 }.
Let {xn};'° be an infinite sequence and {nk};_'° any strictly increasing
sequence of positive integers, i.e., such that ni < nz < ng < · ·" The
sequence {xnk}~ 1 is called a subsequence of {xn}:=l' This definition
implies that { x n} is a subsequence of itself. A similar definition can be
made for finite' sequences.
The definitions of union and of intersection of two sets can be extended
to any indexed collection of sets {Aa} as follows.
Definitions 2.4 The union of the sets Aa, a E I, is the set G such that
x E G · iff x E A°' for at least one a E J. In symbols,
G = LJ Aa = { x : x E Aa for some a E I}
a El
If I = JN, we usually write
N
G= LJ An
n=l
If I = J, we write
or
00
G= LJ An
n=l
The intersection of the sets A°' is the set H such that x E H iff x E A°'
for every a E J. In symbols,
H = n Aa = { x : x E A°' for every a E I}
a El
As for unions, we write
N
H = n An = Ai n Az n · · · n AN
n=l