An interval is a I⊆RI\subseteq\mathbb R such that whenever a,c∈Ia,c\in I and a<b<ca<b<c, then b∈Ib\in I.

Remarks

Intervals are the basic “connected pieces” of the ordered real line (using the ). In the usual topology on R\mathbb R coming from the d(x,y)=∣x−y∣d(x,y)=|x-y|, open intervals are fundamental examples of .

Examples
  • (0,1)={x∈R:0<x<1}(0,1)=\{x\in\mathbb R: 0<x<1\} is an interval.
  • [0,∞)={x∈R:x≥0}[0,\infty)=\{x\in\mathbb R: x\ge 0\} is an interval.