TITLE: Does "monotonic sequence" always mean "a sequence of real numbers"
QUESTION [6 upvotes]: When we say a sequence is monotonic, does that imply the sequence is Real Number Sequence? And other propositions about monotonic, all real-valued?
When I see some mathematical analysis books, sometimes they talk about some properties/facts like convergence of sequences in a metric space, for example, real field and complex field, sometimes the results are the same.
However, when I see some propositions about "monotonic" are limited within real numbers.
Maybe they write for simplicity of the theorem?
For example:
Definition: A sequence $s_n$ of real numbers is said to be monotonicaly increasing if $s_n\leq s_{n+1}$.
Complex sequences may also have something monotonicity?
Basic fact I know is that we cannot compare two complex numbers, maybe we should use partial relation? norm of complex number(this is a real number)? dictionary order?

REPLY [2 votes]: At the request of the OP, I have gathered my comments regarding the ordering of the complex numbers onto this answer. This answer basically gives two different orderings of the complex numbers, and wonders what the best is we can do to order $\mathbb{C}$. These orderings mean that we can talk about monotonic sequences in $\mathbb{C}$.
Ordering 1: Norms. A norm is a function which assigns elements in a ring a real number, $N: R\rightarrow\mathbb{R}$, such that $N(a\cdot b)=N(a)\cdot N(b)$. This can be made into an ordering by saying $a \preceq b\Leftrightarrow N(a)\leq N(b)$. For the complex numbers, we can define $N(x+iy):=x^2+y^2$. Note that this is not a strict total order as, for example, $N(1)=N(-1)$, and indeed that this does not preserve the usual ordering of the real numbers. Note also that, in general, $N(a+b)\neq N(a)+N(b)$.
Ordering 2: lexicographical ordering. Define $x_1+iy_1 \preceq x_2+iy_2$ if and only if either $x_1\leq x_2$ or ($x_1=x_2$ and $y_1\leq y_2$). Note that this is a strict total order which preserves addition and the usual order of the real numbers. However, it does not preserve multiplication.
We then have a question: Can we give $\mathbb{C}$ a total ordering which is compatible with the operations of the field? Well, no, it turns out we cannot. This means that either addition or multiplication must fail. Clearly Ordering 2 is the best we can do for addition: It preserves addition as well as the underlying ordering of the real numbers. Ordering 1 is not quite so good for multiplication. We therefore have the following question,
Question: Does there exist a total ordering of the field of complex numbers which preserves multiplication and the underlying ordering of the real numbers?