Exercises for “Topology I”: Week 12

Fan Yang
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
University of Helsinki
April 6, 2010

Page 94 Exercise 1
Proof.S Let {Gi }i∈I be a class of sets in T1 ∩ T2S
. Then {Gi }i∈I is a class of sets in T1 ,
Gi ∈ T1 . Similarly, Gi ∈ T2 , hence Gi ∈ T1 ∩ T2 .
S
thus
i∈I i∈I i∈I
n
Let G1 , · · · , Gn be sets in T1 ∩ T2 . Then G1 , · · · , Gn are sets in T1 , thus Gi ∈ T1 .
T
i=1
n n
Gi ∈ T2 , hence Gi ∈ T1 ∩ T2 .
T T
Similarly,
i=1 i=1

Page 95 Exercise 9
Proof. Let hX, T1 i, hY, T2 i and hZ, T3 i be topological spaces. Let f : X → Y , g :
Y → Z be continuous functions. For any G ∈ T3 , since g is continuous, we have that
g −1 (G) ∈ T2 , from which and the continuity of f it follows that f −1 (g −1 (G)) ∈ T1 ,
hence
(g ◦ f )−1 (G) = f −1 ◦ g −1 (G) = f −1 (g −1 (G)) ∈ T1
as required.

Page 95 Exercise 10
Proof. Let hX, T1 i and hY, T2 i be topological spaces, and f : X → Y a one-to-one and
onto mapping.
⇒: Suppose f is a homeomorphism. It suffices to show that f −1 : Y → X is
continuous. For any G ∈ T1 , since f is open, we have that (f −1 )−1 (G) = f (G) ∈ T2 .
⇐: Suppose both f and f −1 are continuous. It suffices to check that f is open. For
any G ∈ T1 , since f −1 is continuous, we have that f (G) = (f −1 )−1 (G) ∈ T2 .

Page 95 Exercise 11
Example. Let X be any set with at least two elements. Consider the two topolog-
ical spaces hX, ℘(X)i and hX, {0,
/ X}i. The one-to-one identity function id from

1
hX, ℘(X)i to hX, {0, / X}i is continuous, since every set is open in hX, ℘(X)i. How-
ever, id is not an open function, since, for instance, any singleton subset {x} of X is
open in hX, ℘(X)i, while f ({x}) = {x} is not open in hX, {0, / X}i.

Page 99 Exercise 2
Proof. Let X be a topological space, A ⊆ X, and Y a metric space. Let g1 , g2 : A → Y
be continuous functions such that g1  A = g2  A = f : A → Y is continuous. Sup-
pose g1 6= g2 . Then there exists x ∈ A \ A such that g1 (x) 6= g2 (x). By Problem
10-1, since Y is a metric space, there exist two disjoint open spheres Sr1 (g1 (x)) and
Sr2 (g2 (x)). Since both g1 and g2 are continuous, we have that g1−1 (Sr1 (g1 (x))) and
g2−1 (Sr2 (g2 (x))) are open in A. Thus the set G = g1−1 (Sr1 (g1 (x))) ∩ g2−1 (Sr2 (g2 (x)))
is open in A.
Since x is a limit point of A, there exists a point y ∈ G ∩ A different from x.
Observe that

g1 (y) ∈ g1 (G) ⊆ g1 (g1−1 (Sr1 (g1 (x)))) = Sr1 (g1 (x))

and
g2 (y) ∈ g2 (G) ⊆ g2 (g2−1 (Sr2 (g2 (x)))) = Sr2 (g2 (x)).
But since y ∈ A, we have that g1 (y) = g2 (y), which contradicts the fact that Sr1 (g1 (x))∩
Sr2 (g2 (x)) = 0.
/

Page 99 Exercise 5
Proof. (1) Suppose A ⊆ X is perfect. Then by Theorem D, A = A ∪ D(A) = A ∪ A =
A, thus A is closed. Let I(A) denote the set of isolated points of A. By Theorem E,
I(A) = A \ D(A) = A \ A = 0. /
/ Thus, by Theorem E, A = A = D(A) ∪ I(A) =
Suppose A is closed and I(A) = 0.
D(A), i.e. A is perfect.
(2) Let
J1 = (−∞, 0), J2 = (1, +∞)
1 2
J3 = ( , ),
3 3
1 2 7 8
J4 = ( , ), J5 = ( , ),
9 9 9 9
···
then the complement of Cantor set is

C0 =
[
Jn ,
n∈ω

where Jn = (an , bn ). Note that Jn ∩Jn0 = 0/ and bn 6= an0 for any n, n0 ∈ ω with n 6= n0 .
Since C is closed, it suffices to show that C ⊆ D(C). For any x ∈ C, let

Kx = {n ∈ ω | bn > x}.

2
Since b2 = +∞ > x ≥ 0 = b1 , 2 ∈ Kx and 1 ∈/ Kx , hence Kx 6= 0/ and N \ Kx 6= 0.
/ For
any n0 6∈ Kx and any n ∈ Kx , we have that
an0 < bn0 ≤ x ≤ an < bn .
Let
β = sup{bn0 | n0 6∈ Kx } and α = inf{an | n ∈ Kx }.
Hence β ≤ x ≤ α. If β < x or x < α, then (β, x] ⊆ C or [x, α) ⊆ C, so x ∈ D(C). If
β = x = α, then for any open sphere Sε (x), there exist n0 ∈ Kx and n00 6∈ Kx such that
x − ε < bn0 ≤ x ≤ an0 < x + ε.
0

Note that bn0 6= an0 and bn0 , an0 ∈ (x − ε, x + ε) ∩ C, so ((x − ε, x + ε) \ {x}) ∩ C 6= 0,

/
0 0
thereby x ∈ D(C).

Page 103 Exercise 3

Proof. First, recall that each open set of R is the union of some open intervals of R,
and each open set of Rn is the union of subsets of Rn of the form
(a1 , b1 ) × · · · × (an , bn )
where (a1 , b1 ), · · · , (an , bn ) are open intervals of R. The open set of R∞ are unions of
subsets of R∞ of the form
∏ (an , bn )
n∈ω

where for each n ∈ ω, (an , bn ) is an open interval of R.

The open sets of C are unions of open spheres of C of the form Sr (z) for some
r > 0, z ∈ C. The open set of Cn are unions of subsets of Cn of the form
Sr1 (z1 ) × · · · × Srn (zn )
where Sr1 (z1 ), · · · , Srn (zn ) are open spheres of C. The open set of C∞ are unions of
subsets of C∞ of the form
∏ Srn (zn )
n∈ω

where for each n ∈ ω, Srn (zn ) is an open sphere of C.

Since every second countable space is separable, it suffices to show these spaces
are all second countable. We first show that
B1 = {(p, q) | p < q, p, q ∈ Q}
is a countable open base for R. Clearly, |B1 | ≤ |Q × Q| = ℵ0 , i.e. B1 is countable. It
remains to check that any open subset G of R is a union of sets in B1 . Since G is a
union of open intervals of R, it suffices to show that every open interval (a, b) of R is a
union of sets in B1 , but this is the case since
[
(a, b) = (p, q).
a≤p<q ≤b
(p,q )∈B1

3
 For the space Rn , the countable class of open sets

B2 = {(p1 , q1 ) × · · · × (pn , qn ) | (p1 , q1 ), · · · , (pn , qn ) ∈ B1 }

is an open base, since for every open set (a1 , b1 ) × · · · × (an , bn ) we have that
[
(a1 , b1 ) × · · · × (an , bn ) = (p1 , q1 ) × · · · × (pn , qn ).
ai ≤pi <qi ≤bi for all 1≤i≤n
(p1 ,q1 )×···×(pn ,qn )∈B2

For the space R∞ , the countable class of open sets

B3 = {Πn∈ω (pn , qn ) | (pn , qn ) ∈ B1 for each n ∈ ω}

is an open base, since for every open set ∏n∈ω (an , bn ) we have that
[
∏ (an , bn ) = ∏ (pn , qn ).
n∈ω an ≤pn <qn ≤bn for all n∈ω n∈ω
∏n∈ω (pn ,qn )∈B3

Next, we show that

B4 = {Sr (z) | z = p + qi and p, q, r ∈ Q}

is a countable open base for C. Clearly, |B4 | ≤ |Q×Q×Q| = ℵ0 , i.e. B4 is countable.

It remains to check that any open sphere Sr (z0 ) of C is a union of sets in B4 , but this
is the case since [
Sr (z0 ) = Sr1 (z).
Sr1 (z )⊆Sr (z0 )
Sr1 (z )∈B4
n
For the space C , the countable class of open sets

B5 = {Sr1 (z1 ) × · · · × Srn (zn ) | Sr1 (z1 ), · · · , Srn (zn ) ∈ B4 }

is an open base, since for every open set Sr0 (z10 ) × · · · × Srn0 (zn0 ) we have that
1

Sr0 (z10 ) × · · · × Srn0 (zn0 ) =

[
Sr1 (z1 ) × · · · × Srn (zn ).
1
Sri (zi )⊆Sr0 (zi0 )for all 1≤i≤n
i
Sr1 (z1 )×···×Srn (zn )∈B5

For the space C∞ , the countable class of open sets

B6 = {Πn∈ω Srn (zn ) | Srn (zn ) ∈ B4 for each n ∈ ω}

is an open base, since for every open set ∏n∈ω Srn0 (zn0 ) we have that

∏ Srn0 (zn0 ) =
[
∏ Srn (zn ).
n∈ω 0 )for all n∈ω n∈ω
Srn (zn )⊆Sr0 (zn
n
∏n∈ω Srn (zn )∈B6

4
Page 103 Exercise 4
Proof. Let A = {f1 , · · · , fn , · · · } be any countable subset of C (X, R), where fn = fn0
for all n > n0 whenever |A | = n0 . We will show that A is not dense in C (X, R).
Consider the open sphere S1 (f ), where f ∈ C (X, R) is defined by

0, if |fn (n)| ≥ 1;
f (n) =
|fn (n)| + 1, if |fn (n)| < 1.
To show that A is not dense in C (X, R), it suffices to show S1 (f ) ∩ A = 0.
/
Indeed, for any element fn in A , we have that
d(f, fn ) = kf − fn k = sup |f (x) − fn (x)| ≥ |f (n) − fn (n)|,
thus if |fn (n)| ≥ 1, then d(f, fn ) ≥ |0 − fn (n)| ≥ 1; if |fn (n)| < 1, then d(f, fn ) ≥
| |fn (n)| + 1 − fn (n)| ≥ 1. Hence we conclude that fn 6∈ S1 (f ), i.e., S1 (f ) ∩ A =
0.
/

Page 103 Exercise 6

Proof. (a) Let A be an infinite subset of X. We will show that A = X; that is to show
that for any open subset G of X, G ∩ A 6= 0./ Suppose otherwise, i.e. G ∩ A = 0.
/ Then
G0 ⊇ A, so G0 is infinite, which is a contradiction.
(b) Suppose B is a countable open base of X. Pick a point x0 in X. Let
A = {B ∈ B | x0 ∈ B}.
For any point y ∈ R \ {x0 }, the set Gy = R \ {y} is open, and x0 ∈ Gy . Thus, there
exists B ∈ B such that x0 ∈ B ⊆ Gy . Since y 6∈ Gy , we obtain that y 6∈ B ∈ A , thus
y 6∈ A . Hence, we have that
T

A )0 = B0,
\ [
R \ {x0 } ⊆ (
B ∈A

B0 B 0 is count-
S S
which means that B ∈A is uncountable. But on the other hand, B ∈A
able since each B 0 is finite and |A | ≤ |B| ≤ ℵ0 . A contradiction.

Page 103 Exercise 7

Proof. Let I(A) be the set of all isolated points of a subset A of X. For any point x ∈
I(A), there exists an open neighborhood Gx of x such that A ∩ (Gx \ {x}) = 0. / Since
I(A) ⊆ x∈I (A) Gx , by Lindelöf’s Theorem,
S
there exists a countable subcollection
{Gxi }i∈ω of {Gx }x∈I (A) such that I(A) ⊆ i∈ω Gxi . Since I(A) ⊆ A, we have that
S

[ [
I(A) \ {xi }i∈ω ⊆ A ∩ ( Gxi ) \ {xi }i∈ω ⊆ (A ∩ (Gxi \ {xi })) = 0.
/
i∈ω i∈ω

Hence I(A) ⊆ {xi }i∈ω , therefore I(A) is countable or empty.

Now, suppose A is uncountable. Then D(A) = A \ I(A) 6= 0/ since I(A) is count-
able, hence A contains at least one of its limit point.