A Simplified Example Using A Pairing Function
As usual, we must start off with a constant symbol for zero, "0", which we may consider to be a zero-ary function. This is necessary because there are no smaller ordinals in terms of which zero can be described. The most obvious next step would be to define a unary function, "S", which takes an ordinal to the smallest ordinal greater than it; in other words, S is the successor function. In combination with zero, successor allows one to name any natural number.
The third function might be defined as one which maps each ordinal to the smallest ordinal which cannot yet be described with the above two functions and previous values of this function. This would map β to ω·β except when β is a fixed point of that function plus a finite number in which case one uses ω·(β+1).
The fourth function would map α to ωω·α except when α is a fixed point of that plus a finite number in which case one uses ωω·(α+1).
Read more about this topic: Ordinal Notation
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