Equivalence Relation on Cauchy Sequences

Lemma

Let $\struct {X, d}$ be a metric space.

Let $\CC \sqbrk X$ denote the set of all Cauchy sequences of elements from $X$.

Let a relation $\sim$ be defined on $\CC \sqbrk X$ by:

$\ds \sequence {x_n} \sim \sequence {y_n} \iff \lim_{n \mathop \to \infty} \map d {x_n, y_n} = 0$

Then $\sim$ is an equivalence relation on $\CC \sqbrk X$.

We must show that $\sim$ is

on $\CC \sqbrk X$.

To this end, let $\sequence {x_n}, \sequence {y_n}, \sequence {z_n} \in \CC \sqbrk X$ be arbitrary.

For each $n \in \N$ we have that $\map d {x_n, x_n} = 0$ by Metric Space Axiom $(\text M 1)$.

Therefore $\ds \lim_{n \mathop \to \infty} \map d {x_n, x_n} = 0$.

This shows that $\sequence {x_n} \sim \sequence {x_n}$.

Thus $\sim$ is reflexive.

$\Box$

By Metric Space Axiom $(\text M 3)$, $\map d {x_n, y_n} = \map d {y_n, x_n}$ for each $n \in \N$.

Therefore:

$\ds \lim_{n \mathop \to \infty} \map d {x_n, y_n} = \lim_{n \mathop \to \infty} \map d {y_n, x_n}$

So $\sequence {x_n} \sim \sequence {y_n}$ implies that $\sequence {y_n} \sim \sequence {x_n}$.

Thus $\sim$ is symmetric.

$\Box$

Finally, by Metric Space Axiom $(\text M 2)$: Triangle Inequality, $\map d {x_n, z_n} \le \map d {x_n, y_n} + \map d {y_n, z_n}$ for each $n \in \N$.

$\ds \lim_{n \mathop \to \infty} \map d {x_n, z_n} \le \lim_{n \mathop \to \infty} \map d {x_n, y_n} + \lim_{n \mathop \to \infty} \map d {y_n, z_n}$

Thus $\sequence {x_n} \sim \sequence {y_n}$ and $\sequence {y_n} \sim \sequence {z_n}$ together imply that $\sequence {x_n} \sim \sequence {z_n}$.

Thus $\sim$ is transitive.

$\Box$

So $\sim$ is shown to be reflexive, symmetric and transitive, and therefore an equivalence relation on $\CC \sqbrk X$.

$\blacksquare$