TFAE: Completeness Axiom and Monotone Convergence Theorem I'm looking to write a proof that shows 

Completeness Axiom / L.U.B. Property of $\mathbb{R}$$\iff$ Monotone Convergence Theorem.

However, it's quite perplexing to me how a proposition about real numbers can imply such an in-depth result about sequences and series.

Could anyone offer me some starting points? I'm thinking by contradiction for $\Leftarrow$, but I have no idea how to do $\Rightarrow$.
"$\Leftarrow$":  Short version: Below is a proof that MCT implies the LUB property.  The basic idea is to take the set $U$ of upper bounds of a nonempty set $A$ that is bounded above, and to construct an increasing sequence $(x_k)$ with no term in $U$, such that $x_k+\varepsilon_k$ is in $U$ for all $k$, and $\varepsilon_k\to 0$.  MCT implies that $(x_k)$ converges, and the limit can be shown to be $\sup A$.  If you are only looking for hints, read no further.


Lemma: MCT $\Rightarrow$ Archimedean Property.
Proof by contradiction: If $\mathbb{N}$ is bounded, then the sequence $(n)_n=(1,2,3,4,\ldots)$ converges by hypothesis to some real number $x$, and then $(n+1)_n$ converges to $x$ and to $x+1$, a contradiction.$\square$


Let $A$ be a nonempty set of real numbers that is bounded above, and let $U$ be the set of upper bounds of $A$.  


Claim 1: For all $\varepsilon&gt;0$, $U-\varepsilon:=\{u-\varepsilon:u\in U\}$ is not contained in $U$.
Proof by contradiction: Let $\varepsilon&gt;0$.  If $U-\varepsilon\subseteq U$, then $U-n\varepsilon\subseteq U$ for all $n$.  There exists $u\in U$, and $U$ therefore contains the ray $\{x:x&gt;u\}$.  This implies by the Archimedean property that $\mathbb R=\bigcup\limits_{n=1}^\infty (U-n\varepsilon)\subseteq U$, which contradicts $A\neq\emptyset$.$\square$
Claim 2: $\bigcap\limits_{n=1}^\infty\left(U-\frac{1}{n}\right)\subseteq U$.
Proof: Suppose that $x$ is in $\bigcap\limits_{n=1}^\infty\left(U-\frac{1}{n}\right)$, and that $y&gt;x$.  By the Archimedean property there exists $n\in\mathbb N$ such that $x+\frac{1}{n}&lt;y$.  But $x+\frac{1}{n}$ is in $U$, so this implies that $y$ is not in $A$.  Since $y$ was arbitrary, $x$ is an upper bound for $A$.$\square$


Let $x_1$ be an element of $(U-1)\setminus U$ (which is nonempty by Claim 1).  Since $x_1$ is not in $U$, by Claim 2 there exists $n_1&gt;1$ such that $x_1$ is not in $U-\frac{1}{n_1}$.  Let $x_2$ be an element of $\left(U-\frac{1}{n_1}\right)\setminus U$.  There exists $n_2&gt;n_1$ such that $x_2$ is not in $U-\frac{1}{n_2}$, and we can take $x_3\in \left(U-\frac{1}{n_2}\right)\setminus U$; and so on.  This yields an increasing sequence of positive integers $1=n_0&lt;n_1&lt;n_2&lt;n_3&lt;\cdots$ and an increasing sequence of real numbers $(x_k)$ such that $x_k$ is in $\left(U-\frac{1}{n_{k-1}}\right)\setminus U$.  Then $(x_k)$ is bounded above by each element of $U$.  Assuming MCT, $(x_k)$ converges to some real number $x$.  Since $(x_k)$ is bounded above by each element of $U$ and $\lim x_k=x$, $x$ is less than or equal to each element of $U$.  Since $x\geq x_k$ for all $k$, $x$ is in $\bigcap\limits_{j=1}^\infty\left(U-\frac{1}{n_j}\right)=\bigcap\limits_{n=1}^\infty\left(U-\frac{1}{n}\right)\subseteq U$.  Therefore $x$ is the smallest element of $U$, which means $x=\sup A$.$\square$
Here's an attempt at a proof:

Proposition: Completeness Axiom $\iff$ Monotone Convergence Theorem

Proof:

$\Leftarrow$ 

Assume for contradiction that Completeness Axiom $\not\Leftarrow$ MCT. That is, $x_n$ is monotone increasing and bounded sequence of real numbers with a finite limit. By our assumption, $\displaystyle\lim_{n \to \infty} x_n = u &gt; \text{sup }x_n$. However, this is a direct contradiction of the Monotone Convergence Theorem since a monotone sequence converges to sup $a_k$ if $a_k$ is increasing. Therefore, the Completeness axiom $\Leftarrow$ Monotone Convergence Theorem 

$\Rightarrow$

Suppose that the sequence $x_n$ is monotone increasing and bounded. Then $x_n$ is bounded, so it has a least upper bound $u \equiv \text{sup }x_n$ by the completeness axiom. Now for every $\epsilon &gt; 0$, there exists an $N$ such that $N &gt; u - \epsilon$, since otherwise $u- \epsilon$ is an upper bound of $x_n$, which contradicts to $u$ being the supremum $x_n$. Then, since $x_n$ is increasing, for all $n&gt;N$ we have $| c - x_n | = c - x_n \leq c - x_N &lt; \epsilon$. Hence by definition, the limit of $x_n = u$. Therefore, the Completeness axiom $\Rightarrow$ Monotone Convergence Theorem