TITLE: singular cardinals of every regular cofinality
QUESTION [5 upvotes]: First of all a couple of definitions which might be different to the standard ones:
A function is called cofinal if $$f:\alpha\mapsto \beta$$is such that $$\sup\{ f(\gamma):\gamma<\alpha\}=\beta$$
Secondly, cf$(\kappa)$ by the $\min\{\alpha:\exists f: \alpha\mapsto \beta\}$ where $f$ is cofinal. An ordinal is called regular if $cf(\alpha)=\alpha$, and singular if it is not regular. 
The problem now asks: Prove that there exist singular cardinals of every regular cofinality. 
So say we are given $\kappa$ with the property that $\kappa=$cf$(\kappa)$, and then we can consider $\aleph_{\kappa+\kappa}$. Then we first show that there exists a cofinal function that maps $\kappa$ into $\aleph_{\kappa+\kappa}$, just let $f(\alpha)=\aleph_{\kappa+\alpha}$ by the way addition works we see that $\sup\{f(\alpha):\alpha<\kappa\}=\aleph_{\kappa+\kappa}$. However I do not know how to show that this is the least one that works. I am assuming that I must use the regularity of $\kappa$ somehow but I dont know how.
Thanks.

REPLY [2 votes]: Indeed as you thought $\aleph_{\kappa+\kappa}$ is a good candidate. The missed up point on the regularity of $\kappa$ comes in the fact that $\mathrm{cf}(\mu)$ is a regular cardinal for every $\mu$.
This means that if $\kappa$ is a singular cardinal then $\aleph_{\kappa+\kappa}$ will have the same cofinality as $\kappa$, which by the assumption of singularity is not $\kappa$ itself.

We will prove the following theorem:

Suppose $\kappa$ is an infinite cardinal, then $\mathrm{cf}(\kappa)=\mathrm{cf}(\mathrm{cf}(\kappa))$. In particular it shows that $\mathrm{cf}(\kappa)$ is a regular cardinal.

Denote $\mathrm{cf}(\kappa)=\lambda$ and $\mathrm{cf}(\lambda)=\mu$. Since $f(\alpha)=\alpha$ is cofinal in $\lambda$ we have that $\mu\le\lambda$. Suppose by contradiction that this is a strong inequality. This means that there exists a function $f\colon\mu\to\lambda$ which is cofinal in $\lambda$.
Since $\lambda=\mathrm{cf}(\kappa)$ we know there is some $h\colon\lambda\to\kappa$ which is cofinal in $\kappa$. We show that $(h\circ f)\colon\mu\to\kappa$ is also cofinal in $\kappa$:
Suppose $\beta<\kappa$ then there is some $\alpha<\lambda$ such that $\beta<h(\alpha)$, and since $f$ is cofinal in $\lambda$ we have some $\gamma<\mu$ such that $\alpha<f(\gamma)$. This means that $h(\alpha)<h(f(\gamma)$.
However we also know that $\beta<h(\alpha)<h(f(\gamma))$. Therefore $h\circ f$ is a cofinal function whose domain is strictly smaller than $\lambda$, in contradiction to our assumption that $\lambda=\mathrm{cf}(\kappa)$ was the minimal ordinal which can be mapped unboundedly into $\kappa$.