0

What are the automorphisms $(\mathbb R, 0, 1, +, \cdot, \leq)\to (\mathbb R, 0, 1, +, \cdot, \leq)$ and how many are there?

Asaf Karagila
  • 393,674

1 Answers1

0

This is a well known theorem: the only field automorphism $f$ of $\mathbb{R}$ is the identity. You don't even need to assume it respects the order, because it's a consequence of being a field automorphism.

Indeed, $f(x^2)=f(x)^2>0$, for every $x\ne0$. Since every positive element is a square, if $x>y$ we have $f(x-y)>0$, so $f(x)>f(y)$.

Then it's easy to prove that $f(m/n)=m/n$, for every rational $m/n$ ($m,n$ integers, $n\ne0$).

Finish by proving that $f$ has to be continuous with respect to the usual metric.

egreg
  • 238,574