 Supremum

For a nonempty set $A\subseteq \mathbb{R}$, a real number $s$ is its supremum precisely when it is an upper bound and no smaller real number is an upper bound. It is unique: two least upper bounds must each be no greater than the other.

For $A=(0,1)$, every number at least one is an upper bound, and none smaller than one bounds the whole set. Thus $\sup A=1$, although $1\notin A$. For $A=[0,1]$, that same supremum is also the maximum. The approximation property of a supremum supplies witnesses arbitrarily close to an unattained upper edge.