Ordinals in analysis and measure theory (Q951763)

First, the author gives a definition of \(\omega_1\) and of the countable ordinals according to, what he calls, Hartogs' method: Let \({\mathcal H}\) be the set of all subsets \(N\) of the set \(\mathbb{N}\) of natural numbers, each equipped with a well-ordering. Two of these ordered sets are called equivalent \((\equiv)\) if they have equal length. Then \(\omega_1\) is the set \({\mathcal H}/\!\!\equiv\) of equivalence classes, and the \(a\in\omega_1\) are the countable ordinals. Then several theorems of analysis (mean-value theorem, existence of the maximum, compactness of closed bounded intervals) are proved by transfinite recursion along \(\omega_1\). Further, the Borel hierarchy of metric spaces is discussed. The most important part of the paper is a new proof for the theorem of existence and uniqueness in measure theory. Also, two sections on Borel-measurable functions and atom-free measures are presented.