今年3月16日,在“袖珍电子书:关于微积分学的公理化”一文中,我们首次接触到现代微积分学的公理化问题,当时有些话没有说透,今天再议。
在袖珍电子书“基础微积分后记(Epilogue)”里面,J.Keisler教授说:“All the familiar facts about the real numbers can be proved using only these axioms”,意思是说,所有熟知的有关实数(包括传统微积分学)的事实(定理)都可以从以下三组公理导出:
1. ALGEBRAIC AXIOMS FOR THE REAL NUMBERS
A Closure laws 0 and 1 are real numbers. If a and b are real numbers, then so are a + b, ab and -a. If a is a real number and a≠0,then 1/a is a real number.
B Commutative laws a+b= b+a ab = ba
C Associative laws a+(b+c)= (a+b) + c a(bc) = (ab)c.
D Identitylaws 0+a = a 1·a =a .
E Inverse laws a+ (-a)=0 if a≠0,a(1/a)=1
F Distributive law a·(b + c)= ab + ac
DEFINITION
The positive integers are the real numbers 1,2 = 1+1, 3 = 1+1+1 ,4 = 1+1+1+1 , and so on.
II.ORDER AXIOMS FOR REAL NUMBERS
A 0<1.
B Transitive law if a< b and b< c.
C Trichotomy law Exactly one of the relations a<b,a=b,a>b holds.
D Sum law If a< b , then a+c < b+c.
E product law If a <b and 0 < c, then ac < bc .
F Root axiom For every real number a > 0 and everypositive integer n, there is a real number b > 0 such that b的n次方=a
Ⅲ. COMPLETENESS AXIOM
Let A be a set of real numbers such that whenever x and y are in A, any real number between x and y is in A. Then A is an interval.
从上述三组公理(I、II、III)出发,我们可以建立起实数系R的数学大厦(即定理系统,其中包括微积分学的定理体系)。满足这套公理体系的数学模型都是“同构”的。实际上,函数、极限、导数、微分与积分等都是一些数学定义(概念)而已。有了这种眼光,看待微积分学的角度就不同了,微积分如同平面几何、高学代数。但是,无穷小不在这套体系之中(无穷小没有容身之地)。那么,我们该怎么办呢?且听下回分解。