Factorization of Limit Ordinals

Theorem
Let $x$ be a limit ordinal.

Then:


 * $x = \paren {\omega \times y}$ for some $y \in \On$

where $\omega$ is the minimal infinite successor set.

Proof
By the Division Theorem for Ordinals:


 * $x = \paren {\omega \times y} + z$

for some unique $y$ and $z \in \omega$.

$z \ne 0$.

Because $z \in \omega$, $z$ is not a limit ordinal.

Therefore, by the definition of limit ordinal:
 * $z = w^+$

for some $w \in \omega$.

But this means that:

This means that $x$ is the successor of some ordinal.

Hence $x$ cannot be a limit ordinal.

But this contradicts the assumption that $x$ is a limit ordinal.

It follows that $z = 0$.

Therefore: