Baire Category Theorem

baire category theorem
panxn20
August 2023
1 Baire Category Theorem

Let (S, d) be a complete metric space. Then
(a) If (Un ) is a sequence of dense open subsets of S, then the intersection
X = ∩∞ n=1 Un is dense in S.
(b) If (Fn ) is a sequence of closed subsets of S and if the union F = ∪∞
n=1 Fn
contains a nonempty open set, then so does at least one of the sets Fn .
(c) The union of a sequence of nowhere dense subsets of S has dense com-
plement.
(d) The space S is not a union of a sequence of nowhere dense subsets of S.
2 pointwise limit continuity

Theorem: Let X be a complete metric space, and Y a metric space. Let
f, f1 , f2 , . . . be continuous functions from X into Y such that fm (x) → f (x)
for every x ∈ X. Then, f is continuous on a dense subset of X.
For any ε > 0, let us define
[
O(ε) := {O ∈ OX : dY (f (x), f (y)) < ϵ, f oreach :x, y ∈ O}
which is an open subset of X. We have seen that
∞
\
{x ∈ X : f iscontinuousatx} = O(1/i).
i=1
In view of the Baire Category Theorem, therefore, the theorem will be proved if
we can show that O(ε) is a dense set in X for every ε > 0. To this end, let us fix
an ε > 0, and take an arbitrary nonempty open subset U of X. Our objective is
to show that O(ε) intersects U . (As U is arbitrary in OX , this will prove that
O(ε) is dense in X.) For each positive integer m, we define
n ε o
Sm := x ∈ X : dY (fk (x), fl (x)) ≤ f oreveryk, l ≥ m .
4
Note that S1 ⊆ S2 ⊆ · · ·, each Sm is closed in XS (because x 7→ dY (fk (x), fl (x)
∞
) is a continuous real map on X ), and X = Si . (The last claim follows
1
from the fact that (fm (x)) is Cauchy in X (for each x ∈ X ), being a convergent
sequence
S∞ in X.) Then (Sm ∩ U ) is a sequence of closed subsets of U such that
(Si ∩ U ) = U . Since U is an open subset of a complete metric space,
it is Baire, so, the interior of SM ∩ U (in U ) must be nonempty for some
positive integer M . Clearly, then, there is a nonempty open subset V of U with
V ⊆ SM ∩ U . Of course, as U is open in X, so is V .
We claim that O(ε) ∩ V is not empty. Fix an arbitrary point x∗ in V . Since
fM is continuous and V is open in X, there is an open subset W of V such
that fM (W ) ⊆ BY fM (x∗ ) , 4ε , that is, dY (fM (x), fM (x∗ )) < ε/4 for every
x ∈ W . Moreover, for any x in SM , we have dY (fk (x), fM (x)) ≤ ε/4, so letting
k ↑ ∞ yields dY (f (x), fM (x)) ≤ ε/4. In particular, dY (f (x), fM (x)) ≤ ε/4
for every x ∈ V . By the triangle inequality, we get dY (f (x), fM (x∗ )) < ε/2 for
every x ∈ W . In turn, using this inequality (twice) and the triangle inequality
yields
dY (f (x), f (y)) ≤ dY (f (x), fM (x∗ )) + dY (fM (x∗ ) , f (y)) < ε
for every x, y ∈ W . Thus: W ⊆ O(ε), and hence O(ε) ∩ V is not empty, as we

desired.
3 My question
By the definition of the dense and nowhere dense set, one can then show that the
discontinuity point of f is of the first category (the countable union of nowhere
dense set). I am interested in the relation between of the first category and
measure. Can the countable union of nowhere dense set has positive measure
or even measure 1? I first consider the example of Riemann function, which is
discontinuous at every rational number only, a countable set with measure 0.
I cannot find any example such that the countable union of nowhere dense set
has positive measure.
Why I am interested in it: One famous Riemann integrable criteria is that:
f is Riemann integrable if and only if the discontinuous set of f has measure 0.
So I want to know whether the following claim is correct:
The pointwise limit of a series of continuous functions is Riemann integrable.
I have known that the converse is wrong: Not every Riemann integrable
function is the pointwise limit of a series of continuous functions, see
https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/3797728/are-riemann-integrable-
functions-the-pointwise-limit-of-continuous-functions
which is constructed by Cantor set.
However, it is harder to deal with the claim ”The pointwise limit of a series
of continuous functions is Riemann integrable.”

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baire category theorem

1 Baire Category Theorem

2 pointwise limit continuity

dY (f (x), f (y)) ≤ dY (f (x), fM (x∗ )) + dY (fM (x∗ ) , f (y)) < ε

for every x, y ∈ W . Thus: W ⊆ O(ε), and hence O(ε) ∩ V is not empty, as we

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