Internal sets and internal functions in Colombeau theory

This paper is devoted to the study of generalized functions as pointwise functions (so-called internal functions) on certain sets of generalized points (so-called internal sets). We treat the case of the Colombeau algebras of generalized functions, for which these notions have turned out to constitute a fundamental technical tool. We provide general foundations for the notion of internal functions and internal sets and prove a saturation principle. Various applications to Colombeau algebras are given.