An elementary geometric nonstandard proof of the Jordan curve theorem (Q1336207): Difference between revisions

The authors give a nice, easily followed proof of a type of Jordan curve theorem in the nonstandard plane, \(^*\mathbb{R}^ 2\), which by transfer becomes the Jordan curve theorem in the plane. They do not use any special topological concepts nor do they use saturation. What they use is an intuitive geometric approach and a type of hyperfinite nonstandard Jordan curve theorem which can be proved by internal induction. Although this might be considered by nonstandard topologists to be elementary in character from the viewpoint of nonstandard topology, I doubt that it would be considered as elementary from the standard topology viewpoint due to the additional nonstandard machinery required. However, this does not detract from ``finiteness'' of the approach. That actual constructions are too long to present in this review. However, a few additional points should be mentioned. In section 3, the term ``continuity'' used by the authors is more commonly called microcontinuity and for internal functions is \(S\)-continuity. Their Lemma 4 on the standard continuity of the standardization of a function has been established numerously times and, in particular, in generalized form by this reviewer [J. Math. Phys. 30, No. 4, 805-808 (1989; Zbl 0706.28010)] where compactness is not needed for that portion of this reviewer's Theorem 1.1 that corresponds to Lemma 4. Finally, I do not agree with the authors that their proof does not require the *-transfer concept. First, an internal induction proof usually comes about by *- transfer of the induction concept. I am also of the opinion that many of statements within their geometric approach are, at the least, an inductive *-transfer from the real plane. Notwithstanding these remarks, however, the proof is interesting and relatively elementary.