Principle of Recursive Definition for Well-Ordered Sets

Theorem
Let $J$ be a well-ordered set.

Let $C$ be any set.

Let $\mathcal F$ be the set of all functions that map initial segments $S_a$ of $J$ into $C$.

Then for any function of the form:


 * $\rho: \mathcal F \to C$

there exists a unique function:


 * $h: J \to C$

satisfying:


 * $\forall \alpha \in J: h\left({\alpha}\right) = \rho\left({ h {\restriction_{S_\alpha}} }\right)$

where ${\restriction}$ denotes the restriction of a mapping.

Also see

 * Principle of Recursive Definition