Extended natural numbers

In mathematics, the extended natural numbers is a set which contains the values ${\displaystyle 0,1,2,\dots }$and ${\displaystyle \infty }$(infinity). That is, it is the result of adding a maximum element ${\displaystyle \infty }$to the natural numbers. Addition and multiplication work as normal for finite values, and are extended by the rules ${\displaystyle n+\infty =\infty +n=\infty }$(${\displaystyle n\in \mathbb {N} \cup \{\infty \}}$), ${\displaystyle 0\times \infty =\infty \times 0=0}$and ${\displaystyle m\times \infty =\infty \times m=\infty }$for ${\displaystyle m\neq 0}$.

With addition and multiplication, ${\displaystyle \mathbb {N} \cup \{\infty \}}$is a semiring but not a ring, as ${\displaystyle \infty }$lacks an additive inverse. The set can be denoted by ${\displaystyle {\overline {\mathbb {N} }}}$, ${\displaystyle \mathbb {N} _{\infty }}$or ${\displaystyle \mathbb {N} ^{\infty }}$. It is a subset of the extended real number line, which extends the real numbers by adding ${\displaystyle -\infty }$and ${\displaystyle +\infty }$.

In graph theory, the extended natural numbers are used to define distances in graphs, with ${\displaystyle \infty }$being the distance between two unconnected vertices. They can be used to show the extension of some results, such as the max-flow min-cut theorem, to infinite graphs.

In topology, the topos of right actions on the extended natural numbers is a category PRO of projection algebras.

In constructive mathematics, the extended natural numbers ${\displaystyle \mathbb {N} _{\infty }}$are a one-point compactification of the natural numbers, yielding the set of non-increasing binary sequences i.e. ${\displaystyle (x_{0},x_{1},\dots )\in 2^{\mathbb {N} }}$such that ${\displaystyle \forall i\in \mathbb {N} :x_{i}\geq x_{i+1}}$. The sequence ${\displaystyle 1^{n}0^{\omega }}$represents ${\displaystyle n}$, while the sequence ${\displaystyle 1^{\omega }}$represents ${\displaystyle \infty }$. It is a retract of ${\displaystyle 2^{\mathbb {N} }}$and the claim that ${\displaystyle \mathbb {N} \cup \{\infty \}\subseteq \mathbb {N} _{\infty }}$implies the limited principle of omniscience.

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• Extended natural number at the nLab