The relation $\leq_{\cal U}$ is very well-studied: it is the order relation on the model of the hyperreals obtained by taking an ultrapower of $\mathbb{R}$ with respect to $\cal U$. Letting $\mathbb{R}^*_{\cal U}$ denote this ultrapower, you are asking for the smallest size of an unbounded set in $\mathbb{R}^*_{\cal U}$ (which you call $\frak b_{\cal U}$) and the smallest size of a cofinal set in $\mathbb{R}^*_{\cal U}$ (which you call $\frak d_{\cal U}$). As Wojowu points out, these cardinals are the same because $\leq_{\cal U}$ is a linear order on $\mathbb{R}^*_{\cal U}$. Also, this cardinal is bounded below by $\frak b$ and above by $\frak d$. But one can say a bit more. Andreas Blass has proved (in [this][1] paper) that $\frak g \leq \frak b_{\cal U}$. Mike Canjar proved that, if you add lots of Cohen reals to a model of CH, then any uncountable regular cardinal $\leq \frak c$ is equal to $\frak b_{\cal U}$ for some free ultrafilter $\cal U$. In other words, he showed that the value of $\frak b_{\cal U}$ can depend not only on your model of set theory, but within a single model it can also depend on $\cal U$. If you want to learn more, I suggest you look at Andreas's paper, and also his answer to [this related question][2] of Joel David Hamkins. [1]: http://home.mathematik.uni-freiburg.de/mildenberger/postings/papersps/cfu-rev.pdf [2]: https://mathoverflow.net/questions/72612/what-is-the-spectrum-of-possible-cofinality-types-for-cuts-in-an-ordered-field