Real Analysis Homework 6

MATH 301 Due October 22, 2019

Name: Wuyue Zhou

Exercise 1. (3.2.3) Decide whether the following sets are open, closed, or neither. If a set
is not open, find a point in the set for which there is no ε-neighborhood contained in the set.
If a set is not closed, find a limit point that is not contained in the set.

a.) Q

b.) N

c.) {x ∈ R : x 6= 0}

d.) {1 + 1/4 + 1/9 + · · · + 1/n2 : n ∈ N}

3.) {1 + 1/2 + 1/3 + · · · + 1/n : n ∈ N}

Solution
a.) This set of rational numbers is neither open nor closed. For example, 1 ∈ Q and there
is no -neighborhood that is in Q for 1. Since for every  > 0, there exists an irrational
√
number, for example 22  + a when  ∈ Q or 12  + a when  6∈ Q. Both examples belongs to
the -neighborhood, but one of them must belongs to the set of irrational numbers and thus
is not in Q. Therefore, we cannot find an -neighborhood for 1 ∈ Q. Thus, Q is not open. It
is also not closed since every irrational number can be a limit point for the set. For example,
√
2 is a limit point for the set since Q is dense in R. Thus, for every -neighborhood for
irrational numbers, there is an intersection with Q. However, these irrational numbers are
not in Q.
b.) The set of natural numbers is closed but not open. Use 1 as our example, there is no
-neighborhood for 1 that belongs to N. This is because that every -neighborhood contains
some points that are not natural numbers. Thus, N is not open. N has no limit points
since for any point a ∈ R, there can be a small  that is smaller than the digital part of a.
Therefore, the -neighborhood does not intersect with N. Thus, N does not have any limit
point, so N is closed.
c.) This set is open since for all a ∈ {x ∈ R : x 6= 0} there exists an -neighborhood for
a. The set is not closed because 0 is a limit point for the set, as there exists a sequence of
rational numbers in the set that converges to 0. However, the set does not contain 0.
d.) This set is not open since for 1 ∈ {1 + 1/4 + 1/9 + · · · + 1/n2 : n ∈ N}, there is no -
neighborhood that belongs to the original set. This is because that -neighborhood contains

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continuous points and does not belong to a set of isolated points. This set is not closed since
2
the whole set converges to π6 , which is a limit point that is not in the set.
e.)This set is not open since for 1, there is no -neighborhood that belongs to the original
set. This is because that -neighborhood contains continuous points and does not belong to
a set of isolated points. This set is closed because there is no limit point for this set.


Citation: For this exercise, I used the following sources: None.

Exercise 2. (3.2.5) Prove Theorem 3.2.8.

Solution
(⇒) We want to prove that if a set F ∈ R is closed, then every Cauchy sequence contained
in F has a limit that is also an element of F . Assume that there is an arbitrary Cauchy
sequence (an ), then (an ) → a for some a ∈ R. If there exists some N ∈ N that allows aN = a,
when aN ∈ (an ), then, a ∈ F since (an ) ⊆ F . If there is no N ∈ N that allows aN = a, then
by theorem 3.2.5 a is a limit point. By definition of a closed set, a ∈ F . Since we picked an
arbitrary (an ), then for any Cauchy sequence contained in F , its limit is also in F .
(⇐) We want to prove that if every Cauchy sequence contained in F has a limit that is
also an element of F , then F is closed. Assume that there is an arbitrary Cauchy sequence
(an ), then (an ) → a for some a ∈ R. If there exists some N ∈ N that allows aN = a, when
aN ∈ (an ), then it fits with our hypothesis. However, if there does not exist such N ∈ N,
then a 6∈ (an ). Thus, by theorem 3.2.5, a is a limit point. Due to our hypothesis, a ∈ F .
Since this is true for every Cauchy sequence in the set F , we know that F contains all its
limit points. Thus, by definition, F is closed.
Therefore, F is closed if and only if every Cauchy sequence contained in F has a limit
that is also an element of F .


Citation: For this exercise, I used the following sources: None.

Exercise 3. (3.3.1) Show that if K is compact and nonempty, then sup K and inf K both
exist and are elements of K.

Solution First, we want to show that supK and infK both exist. Since K is compact, then
from theorem 3.3.4, K is a bounded set(since K is not empty). Thus, since K is bounded

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Real Analysis HW 6 Due October 22, 2019

above and below, both sup K and inf K exist.

Secondly, we want to prove that both sup K and inf K are elements of K by contradiction.
Denote supK = a, we assume that a 6∈ K. Since a > a −  for any arbitrary  > 0, we know
that a −  is not an upper bound for the set K. Thus, there exists some an ∈ K such that
a −  < an < a. Here, an 6= a since an ∈ K while a 6∈ K. Thus, an is not an upper bound
for the set K and there exist another an+1 such that a −  < an < an+1 < a. Therefore, by
induction we can have that for any arbitrary  > 0, there exists an N ∈ N such that for all
n ≥ N , |an − a| < . Thus, there exists a sequence (an ) in K such that (an ) → a. Since
a 6∈ K, by definition a is a limit point. Thus, since K is closed, a ∈ K. Here, we reach to a
contradiction. Therefore sup K ∈ K. Similarly, we can prove that inf K is also in K.


Citation: For this exercise, I used the following sources: None.

Exercise 4. (3.3.5) Decide whether the following propositions are true or false. If the claim
is valid, supply a short proof, and if the claim is false, provide a counterexample.

a.) The arbitrary intersection of compact sets is compact.

b.) The arbitrary union of compact sets is compact.

c.) Let A ⊆ R be arbitrary, and let K ⊆ R be compact. Then, the intersection A ∩ K is

compact.

d.) If F1 ⊇ F2 ⊇ F3 ⊇ F4 ⊇ · · · is a nested sequence of nonempty closed sets, then the

intersection ∞
T
n=1 Fn 6= ∅.

Solution
a.) This proposition is true. Since compact sets are bounded, then for these closed sets
K1 , K2 , K3 ,...Kn ,... there exists an intersection K where K ⊆ ∩∞ n=1 Kn . Therefore, K is a
subset under any KN for N ∈ N. Since KN is bounded under some M by our hypothesis,
K is also bounded under M . By theorem 3.2.13, the complements of these closed sets are
open: K1c , K2c ,...,Knc ,... are all open sets. Thus, according to theorem 3.2.3, the set S, where
S = K1c ∪ K2c ∪ ... ∪ Knc ∪ ... is also open. Thus, S equals to:

S = K1c ∪ K2c ∪ ... ∪ Knc ∪ ...

= (K1 ∩ K2 )c ∪ ... ∪ Knc ∪ ...
= (K1 ∩ K2 ∩ C ∩ ... ∩ Kn ∩ ...)c

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Real Analysis HW 6 Due October 22, 2019

Thus, we know that S c is a closed set, where S c = K1 ∩ K2 ∩ C ∩ ... ∩ Kn ∩ ... = K. Since

we proved that the intersection is bounded under M , we also proved that the intersection is
closed, we know that the intersection is then compact.
b.)
This proposition is false. Assume that Kn = [−n, n] for n ∈ N, we know that the union of
Kn is the set R. However, R is not compact since it is not bounded.
c.)
Let A = (1, 2), and let K = [1, 2]. Observe that K is compact since K is bounded and
closed. However, A ∩ K = (1, 2) is not closed and thus not compact.
d.)
For every n ∈ N, pick a point xn ∈ Fn . Since the sets are nested, the sequence (xn ) is
contained in F1 . Thus, since F1 is closed, (xn ) converges to some x ∈ F1 . Similarly, since the
subsequence (xn+1 ) is contained in F2 , and F2 is also closed, we know that x ∈ F2 . Similarly,
x ∈ Fn for all n ∈ N. Thus, the intersection of Fn is not empty.


Citation: For this exercise, I used the following sources:

http://www.csun.edu/ ac53971/courses/math512A/hmwk6s ol5 12A.pdf.

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