An integer construction of infinitesimals: toward a theory of eudoxus hyperreals (Q691131)

Say a function \(f:\mathbb Z\to\mathbb Z\) is an \textit{almost homomorphism} if there is \(C\in \mathbb N^{>0}\) such that, for all \(k,l\in \mathbb Z\), one has \(|f(k+l)-f(k)-f(l)|<C\). We identify two almost homomorphisms if they differ by a bounded function on \(\mathbb Z\). The set of equivalence classes can be equipped with the structure of an ordered field in a natural way, called the ordered field of \textit{Eudoxus reals} \(\mathbb E\). Moreover, the map which sends the real number \(\alpha\) to the equivalence class of the almost homomorphism sending \(k\) to the integer part of \(k\alpha\) is an isomorphism of complete ordered fields. It is in this way that the Eudoxus reals can be seen as a construction of the real numbers directly from the integers, thereby ``skipping the rationals''. In this article, the above construction is combined with the ultrapower (or limit ultrapower) construction to construct the hyperreal fields of nonstandard analysis directly from the integers.