Assignment 8: Chapters 8, Theorems/Exercises 8.

3-5,
8.9-12, 8.14
Taylor Hoyt
April 3, 2015
8.1

Compact Sets

Theorem 8.3. Let X be a first countable space and Y a topological space. Then f : X Y is
continuous if and only if for each convergent sequence xn x X, f (xn ) f (x).
Proof. (INCOMPLETE) To prove this in the forward direction, we assume X to be first countable
and let f : X Y be a continuous function to a topological space Y . Let p be a limit point of
a set A X. Then by theorem 6.18, for each limit point p in X, there is a sequence of points
{ai }iN in A that converges to p. Now by property 8.1.3 of continuity, for every limit point p of
A in X, f (p) belongs to f (A). Since f (p) is in f (A), and obviously every f (an ) is in f (A), then
every f (an ) is in f (A).
By definition of convergence of a sequence ai , there is some open set U A X containing p
and there exists a natural number N such that for all n > N, an U . Since...
To prove this in the other direction, we assume that for every xn x in X, f (xn ) f (x) in
Y . Now lets assume that f is not continuous and look for a contradiction. If f is not continuous,
then for each x in X and each open set V containing f (x), there is not an open set U containing
x such that f (U ) V .
Theorem 8.4. Let X be a space with a dense set D and let Y be Hausdorff. Let f : X Y and
g : X y be continuous functions such that for all d D, we have f (d) = g(d). Then for all
x X we have f (x) = g(x).
Proof. Assume that for some x, f (x) 6= g(x). By Hausdorff of Y , we consider the disjoint open
sets U, V in Y containing f (x), g(x), respectively. Now if we consider the pre-image of each U, V ,
we know that f 1 (U ) f 1 (V ) is a nonempty open set in X containing x otherwise x would not
equal itself. By the denseness of D, we know that every non-empty open set of X contains a point
d0 of D,so there is a d0 f 1 (U ) f 1 (V ). Therefore for all d0 in f 1 (U ) f 1 (V ), f (d0 ) = g(d0 )
and so f (d0 ) U and g(d0 ) V . However, U and V are disjoint which contradicts the fact that
f (d0 ) = g(d0 ). Therefore f (x) = g(x).
Theorem 8.5. The cardinality of the set of continuous functions from R to R is the same as the
cardinality of R
Proof. We first show that there exists an injection from the set of continuous functions C on R
to the set of real numbers R. Consider the constant functions f : R R, f (x) S, such that
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f (x) = x. Clearly all x R are distinctly accounted for in this set of constant functions. So we
have an injection from C to R and so |S| > |R|.
Now we want to show there exists an injection from R to C. Because R is separable, it has a
countably dense subset (Q). This, and the fact that R is Hausdorff, allows us to limit our total
number of unique continuous functions on R by theorem 8.4 such that if two functions are equal on
the rationals, they are equal on all of R. To use the formal language, any f is uniquely determined
by its values on Q and so the cardinality of S is less than or equal to the cardinality of RQ since
we have an injection from S into RQ . The cardinality of RQ is equal to the cardinality of R.
Therefore, by the Schroeder-Bernstein Theorem, the cardinality of C is equal to the cardinality of
R.
Theorem 8.9. If X is compact, and f : X Y is continuous and onto, then Y is compact.
Proof. Let O be any open cover of Y . Then, because f is onto, let U = {f 1 (U )|U O} such
that U covers X. Because f is continuous, each member of U is open and therefore U is an open
cover of X. Now since X is compact, there is a finite subcover UF of X. Because f is onto all
of Y , f (UF ) must cover Y . Therefore for every open cover O of Y there exists a finite subcover
f (UF ). So Y is compact.
Theorem 8.10. If X is Lindelof, and f : X Y is continuous and onto, then Y is Lindel
of.
Proof. Let O be any open cover of Y . Then, because f is onto, let U = {f 1 (U )|U O} such
that U covers X. Because f is continuous, each member of U is open and therefore U is an open
cover of X. Now since X is Lindelof, there is a countable subcover UC of X. Because f is onto
all of Y , f (UC ) must cover Y . Therefore for every open cover O of Y there exists a countable
subcover f (UC ). So Y is Lindelof.
Theorem 8.11. If X is countably compact, and f : X Y is continuous and onto, then Y is
countably compact.
Proof. Let OC be any countable open cover of Y . Then, because f is onto, let UC = {f 1 (U )|U
O} such that UC is a countable cover of X. Because f is continuous, each member of U is open and
therefore UC is a countable open cover of X. Now since X is countably compact, there is a finite
subcover UF of X. Because f is onto all of Y , f (UF ) must cover Y . Therefore for every countable
open cover OC of Y there exists a finite subcover f (UF ). So Y is countably compact.
Theorem 8.14. If X is normal and f : X Y is a closed, continuous, and onto function, then
Y is normal.
Proof. By Theorem 5.8, the Incredible Shrinking Theorem, X normal is equivalent to saying
that for every U, V in X that cover X by their union, there exist U 0 , V 0 that cover X by their
union such that U 0 U, V 0 V . So to prove Y is compact, we want to start with open sets
U, V in Y such that U V = Y , then prove the implication of the shrinking theorem using our
assumptions.
First, since U V = Y , then Y U Y V = . This is quickly proven by considering the
case where U and V share points in Y and when U and V are disjoint in Y . The latter case is
trivial, and the former follows from the fact that U V = W and Y V Y U will be missing
W in its union; ie. any points U and V once shared, can no longer be shared.
Now by continuity of f , we know that f 1 (Y U ) and f 1 (Y V ) are closed and disjoint
in X because they are closed and disjoint in X. Now we consider the union of the open sets
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X f 1 (Y U ) and X f 1 (Y V ) which clearly cover X by their union since f 1 (Y U ) and

f 1 (Y V ) are disjoint.
By the normality of X and the shrinking theorem, we have U 0 , V 0 such that U 0 Xf 1 (Y U )
and V 0 X f 1 (Y V ) where U 0 V 0 = X. Then by f being onto, we have that f (U 0 V 0 ) = Y ,
so f (U 0 ) f (V 0 ) = Y .
0
Now we simply take the image of the previous line in that f (U ) f (X f 1 (Y U )) U
0
and f (V ) f (X f 1 (Y V )) V where the last set containment is from our construction of
0

X f 1 (Y U ) f 1 (U ). Now since f preserves closed sets, we must have that f (U ) = f (U )

0

and that f (V ) = f (V ). So we have for every U, V that covers Y , open sets f (U 0 ), f (V 0 ) that
0

cover Y by their union and that f (U ) U, f (V ) V . Thus by the shrinking theorem, Y is

normal.