First we assume that Statement
(4.1.6) is true and then deduce the truth of Statement
(4.1.7). Let
\(\varepsilon\) be an arbitrary positive real number. To establish Statement
(4.1.7), we must show (1) that there is a positive integer
\(N_\varepsilon\) such that the inequality
\(|x_n-u|\lt \varepsilon\) holds whenever
\(n>N_\varepsilon\) and (2) that there is a positive integer
\(M_\varepsilon\) such that the inequality
\(|y_n -v|\lt \varepsilon\) holds whenever
\(n>M_\varepsilon\text{.}\) Because we are assuming Statement
(4.1.6) to be true, we know (according to
Definition 4.1.1) that there is a positive integer
\(N_\varepsilon\) such that
\(z_n \in D_\varepsilon(\zeta)\) if
\(n>N_\varepsilon\text{.}\) Recall that
\(z_n\in D_\varepsilon(\zeta )\) is equivalent to the inequality
\(|z_n - \zeta|\lt \varepsilon\text{.}\) Thus, whenever
\(n > N_\varepsilon\text{,}\) we have
\begin{align*}
|x_n -u| \amp = |\mathrm{Re}(z_n - \zeta)|\\
\amp \le |z_n - \zeta| \qquad \qquad (\text{by Inequality} \knowl{./knowl/xref/ReImLEMod.html}{\text{(1.3.2)}})\\
\amp \lt \varepsilon\text{.}
\end{align*}
Similarly, we can show that there is a number
\(M_\varepsilon\) such that
\(|y_n-v|\lt \varepsilon\) whenever
\(n>M_\varepsilon\text{,}\) which proves Statement
(4.1.7).
To complete the proof of this theorem, we must show that the conditions of Statement
(4.1.7) imply Statement
(4.1.6). Let
\(\varepsilon>0\) be an arbitrary real number. By Statement
(4.1.7), there exist positive integers
\(N_\varepsilon\) and
\(M_{\varepsilon}\) such that
\begin{align}
|x_n - u|\amp \lt \frac{\varepsilon}{2} \quad \text{whenever} \quad n>N_\varepsilon, \quad \text{and}\tag{4.1.8}\\
|y_n - v|\amp \lt \frac{\varepsilon}{2} \quad \text{whenever} \quad n>M_\varepsilon\text{.}\tag{4.1.9}
\end{align}
Let \(L_\varepsilon=\) \(\max\{N_\varepsilon, \, M_\varepsilon\}\text{.}\) Then, if \(n>L_\varepsilon\text{,}\)
\begin{align*}
|z_n - \zeta| \amp = |(x_n + iy_n) - (u + iv)| \amp\\
\amp = |(x_n - u) +i(y_n -v)| \amp \amp\\
\amp \le |x_n -u|+ |i(y_n -v)| \amp \amp \text{(What is the reason for this step?)}\\
\amp = |x_n -u|+ |i|\, |y_n -v| \amp \amp \text{(by properties of absolute value)}\\
\amp = |x_n - u|\, |y_n - v| \amp \amp \text{(because \(|i|=1\))}\\
\amp \lt \frac{\varepsilon}{2}+\frac{\varepsilon}{2} \amp \amp \big(\text{(by Statements (4.1.8) and (4.1.9)}\big)\\
\amp = \varepsilon.\amp
\end{align*}
We needed to show the strict inequality
\(|z_n - \zeta|\lt \varepsilon\text{,}\) and the next-to-last line in the proof gives us precisely that. Note also that we have been speaking of
the limit of a sequence. Strictly speaking, we are not entitled to use this terminology because we haven’t proved that a complex sequence can have only one limit. The proof, however, is almost identical to the corresponding result for real sequences, and we leave it as an exercise.