Ordering of Reciprocals
Theorem
Let $x, y \in \R$ be real numbers such that $x, y \in \openint 0 \to$ or $x, y \in \openint \gets 0$
Then:
- $x \le y \iff \dfrac 1 y \le \dfrac 1 x$
Proof 1
By Reciprocal Function is Strictly Decreasing, the reciprocal function is strictly decreasing.
By Mapping from Totally Ordered Set is Dual Order Embedding iff Strictly Decreasing, the reciprocal function is a dual order embedding.
That is:
- $x \le y \iff \dfrac 1 y \le \dfrac 1 x$
$\blacksquare$
Proof 2
By Reciprocal Function is Strictly Decreasing, the reciprocal function is strictly decreasing.
Thus
- $x \le y \implies \dfrac 1 y \le \dfrac 1 x$
Suppose then that $\dfrac 1 y \le \dfrac 1 x$.
If $x, y > 0$, then from Reciprocal of Strictly Positive Real Number is Strictly Positive:
$\dfrac 1 y, \dfrac 1 x > 0$
Similarly, if $x, y < 0$ or $x, y > 0$, then from Reciprocal of Strictly Negative Real Number is Strictly Negative:
- $\dfrac 1 y, \dfrac 1 x < 0$
Thus we can apply the above to show that:
- $\dfrac 1 {1/x} \le \dfrac 1 {1/y}$
By Inverse of Multiplicative Inverse:
- $x \le y$
$\blacksquare$