Problem:
Given three arbitrary infinite sequences of natural numbers, prove that we can find unequal natural numbers , such that for each sequence the th member is not less than the th member.
Solution
Solution:
Given any infinite sequence of natural numbers, we can find a non-decreasing subsequence (proof below).
So suppose the three sequences are , , and . Take a non-decreasing subsequence of . Suppose it is , , , ... . Now consider the infinite sequence , , ... . It must have a non-decreasing subsequence. Suppose it is , , ... . Now consider the infinite sequence , , ... . It must have a non-decreasing subsequence , , ... . Each of the three subsequences , , ... , , , ... , , , ... is non-decreasing. So we may take, for example, and .
[Proof that any infinite sequence of natural numbers has a non-decreasing subsequence: if the original sequence is unbounded, then we can take a strictly increasing subsequence. If not, then since there are only finitely many possible numbers not exceeding the bound, at least one of them must occur infinitely often.]