Dedekind cut

noun

, Mathematics.

1. two nonempty subsets of an ordered field, as the rational numbers, such that one subset is the collection of upper bounds of the second and the second is the collection of lower bounds of the first: can be used to define the real numbers in terms of the rational numbers.

Dedekind cut

/ ˈdedəˌkɪnt /

noun

1. a method of according the same status to irrational and rational numbers, devised by Julius Wilhelm Dedekind (1831–1916)

Word History and Origins

Origin of Dedekind cut¹

Named after J.W.R. Dedekind