Metric and Hilbert Spaces

Arun Ram
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
University of Melbourne
Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
aram@unimelb.edu.au

Last updated: 4 November 2014

Lecture 6: Continuous functions and connected sets

Let (X,𝒯) be a topological space. Let 𝒞 be a collection of connected subsets of X such that ⋂A∈𝒞A≠∅. Prove that ⋃A∈𝒞A is connected.

Proof.

Let M=⋃A∈𝒞A and let x∈⋂A∈𝒞A.
Proof by contradiction.
Assume M is not connected.
Let B and C be open sets such that M⊆B∪C, M∩B∩C=∅, M∩B≠∅and M∩C≠∅. Then x∈B or x∈C.
Assume x∈B.
Let U∈𝒞 be such that C∩U≠∅.
Since x∈⋂A∈𝒞A then x∈U, so that x∈B∩UandB∩U ≠∅. Since U⊆M then U⊆B∩Cand U∩B∩C=∅. This is a contradiction to U be connected.
So M is connected.

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Let (X,𝒯) be a topological space and let A⊆X be connected. Show that A‾ is connected.

Proof.

Proof by contradiction.
Assume A‾ is not connected.
Let M and N be open subsets of A‾ such that M∪N=A‾, M≠∅, N≠∅and M∩N=∅. Then (M∩A)∪(N∩A) =Aand(M∩A) ∩(N∩A)=∅. There exists x∈A‾∩M, x is a close point of A and, since M is open, M is a neighbourhood of x.
So M∩A≠∅.
There exists y∈A‾∩N, y is a close point of A and, since N is open, N is a neighbourhood of y.
So N∩A≠∅.
This is a contradiction to A is connected.
So A‾ is connected.

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Let (X,𝒯) be a topological space. Let x∈X. The connected component of x is Cx= ⋃A connectedx∈A A, the union of the connected subsets of X containing x.

(a) Cx is connected.
(b) Cx is closed.
(c) If y∈Cx then Cy=Cx.
(d) If x,y∈X then Cx=Cy or Cx∩Cy≠∅.

Proof.

(a) This follows from Example 1.

(b) By Example 2, Cx‾ is a connected set that contains x. So Cx‾⊆Cx. So Cx‾=Cx.

(c) Assume y∈Cx. Then Cx is a connected set containing y. So Cx⊆Cy. Then Cy is a connected set containing x. So Cy⊆Cx. so Cx=Cy.

(d) Assume x,y∈X and Cx∩Cy≠∅. Let z∈Cx∩Cy. So z∈Cx and z∈Cy. By (c), Cx=Cz=Cy. So Cx=Cy.

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Let (X,𝒯) be a topological space. Then X is connected if and only if there does not exist a continuous surjective function f:X→{0,1}, where {0,1} has the discrete topology.

Proof.

⇒ To show: If there exists a continuous surjective function f:X→{0,1} then X is not connected.
Assume that f:X→{0,1} is a continuous surjective function.
Let A=f-1(0) andB=f-1(1). Since f is continuous, A and B are open.
Since f is surjective, f-1(0)=A≠∅ and f-1(1)=B≠∅.
Then A∪B=f-1 ({0,1})=X and A∩B=f-1 (0)∩f-1 (1)=∅. So X is not connected.

⇐ To show: If X is not connected then there exists a continuous surjective function f:X→{0,1}.
Assume X is not connected.
Then there exist open sets A and B such that A∪B=X, A≠∅, B≠∅and A∩B=∅. Define f:X→{0,1} by f(x)= { 0, if x∈A, 1, if x∈B. Since X=A∪B and A∩B=∅, f is well defined.
Since A≠∅ and B≠∅, f is surjective.
Since A=f-1(0) and B=f-1(1) are open, f is continuous.
So there exists a continuous surjective function f:X→{0,1}.

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Notes and References

These are a typed copy of Lecture 6 from a series of handwritten lecture notes for the class Metric and Hilbert Spaces given on August 6, 2014.

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