Functional Analysis by R.

Vittal Rao

Lecture 6: Open and Closed Sets - June 8, 2012

Definition 6.1 Interior Point Let (X, ρ) be a metric space and A ⊆ X. Let A◦ denotes the set of
Let A ⊆ X. A point a ∈ A is called an interior point of the set A if all interior points of A. Clearly A◦ ⊆ A.
there exists a neighbourhood of the point a which lies inside A. It may happen
i.e. ∃r > 0 3 Br (a) ⊆ A. 1. A◦ = φ
2. φ ( A◦ ( A
Example 6.1
3. A◦ = A
1. Consider the metric space (R, |·|). Let A = {x : 0 ≤ x < 1}
Clearly every point x in A s.t. 0 < x < 1 is an interior Definition 6.2 Open Set
point of A but 0 is not an interior point of A. A subset A of a metric space (X, ρ) is called an open set if A◦ = A
(i.e. every point of A is an interior point of A,
2. Consider the metric space (X, ρ). i.e. ∀a ∈ A, ∃ra > 0 3 Bra (a) ⊆ A)
Fix a ∈ X. Take A = Br (a).
Take any point x ∈ A. Let r0 = ρ(a, x). Let r1 > 0. Example 6.2 Open Sets
Let y ∈ Br1 (x) ⇒ ρ(a, y) ≤ ρ(a, x) + ρ(x, y)
∴ ρ(a, y) < r0 + r1 ⇒ ρ(a, y) < r if r1 < r − r0 1. φ◦ = φ ∴ φ is an open set.
For instance let r1 = r−r
3 , then ρ(a, y) < r.
0

2. X◦ = X ∴ X is an open set.
3. Every open ball in (X, ρ) is an open set.
X
4. Consider the metric space (R, | · |)
r r1
x y (a) A = [0, 1), A◦ = (0, 1), A◦ , A
a ∴ A is not an open set.
(b) A = (0, 1), A◦ = (0, 1), A◦ = A
A = Br (a) ∴ A is an open set.
(c) A = N, A◦ = φ ∴ N is not an open set.

Hence by choosing r1 = r−r (d) A = Q, A◦ = φ ∴ Q is not an open set.

3 , we see that
0

y ∈ Br1 (x) ⇒ y ∈ Br (x) ⇒ Br1 (x) ⊆ Br (a) = A (e) A = I(the set of all irrational numbers)
∴ Every x ∈ Br (a) is an interior point of Br (a). I◦ = φ, ∴ I is not an open set.

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 CHAPTER 6. OPEN AND CLOSED SETS - JUNE 8, 2012

Example 6.3 Let G be the collection of all open sets in (X, ρ). Then
Consider a function f : R −→ R which is continuous on R.
1. X, φ ∈ G
Consider the metric space (R, | · |)
Let A = {x ∈ R : f (x) > 0}, A◦ = A, ∴ A is open. 2. {Aα } ∈ G ⇒
S
Aα ∈ G
α
(∵ a continuous function maintains its sign in its neighbour-
3. A1 , . . . , AN ∈ G ⇒ N
T
hood) i=1 Ai ∈ G

Let (X, ρ) be a metric space. Let G be the collection of all open This is abstracted as follows
sets in (X, ρ)
Definition 6.3 Topology and Topology Space
1. φ, X ∈ G
Let X be any non-empty set and T be a collection of subsets of X
2. Suppose A1 , A2 ∈ G. Let A = A1 ∪ A2 . Is A an open set? s.t.
Let a be any point in A ⇒ a ∈ A1 or a ∈ A2
⇒ ∃r > 0 3 Br (a) ⊆ A1 or Br (a) ⊆ A2 1. X, φ ∈ T
⇒ ∃r > 0 3 Br (a) ⊆ A1 ∪ A2 = A 2. {Aα } ∈ T ⇒
S
Aα ∈ T
α
∴ ∀a ∈ A, ∃r > 0 3 Br (a) ⊆ A
⇒ A◦ = A ⇒ A is an open set. 3. A1 , . . . , AN ∈ T ⇒ N
T
i=1 Ai ∈ T

3. The same argument

S shows that if {Aα } is any collection of open Then T is called a topology on set X and (X, T ) is called a topology
sets in G, then α Aα ∈ G. space.
4. Suppose A1 , A2 ∈ G. Let A = A1 ∩ A2 . Is A an open set?
Let a be any point in A ⇒ a ∈ A1 and a ∈ A2 Let X be a non-empty set and K be a collection of subsets of X.
⇒ ∃r1 , r2 > 0 3 Br1 (a) ⊆ A1 and Br2 (a) ⊆ A2 Then K may or may not be a topology on X but we want to embed K
Let r = min{r1 , r2 }. Then r > 0. in a topology for X in an optimal way i.e. we want to get a topology
Then Br (a) ⊆ A1 ∩ A2 = A T for X s.t.
∴ ∀a ∈ A, ∃r > 0 3 Br (a) ⊆ A
1. K ⊆ TK
⇒ A◦ = A ⇒ A is an open set.
5. Similarly, if A1 , A2 , . . . , AN is a finite collection of open sets then 2. If TK is any other topology on X 3 K ⊆ T then TK ( T
TN
j=1 A j is an open set. We will show that such a TK exists. This TK is called the topology
induced or generated by K. But how do we know that such a
Remark 6.1 Infinite intersections may converge to zero. topology exists? There is at least one topology T on X 3 K ∈ T ,
Hence an infinite intersection of open sets need not be open. namely T = P(K)

Example 6.4 Let Σ(K) be the collection of all topologies on X that contain K.
Consider the metric space (R, | · |). P(X) ∈TΣ(K) ∴ Σ(K) is a non-empty collection.
T of sets An = (−T n , n ), n = 1,2,. . .
1 1
Consider the sequence Let T = {T : T ∈ Σ(K)} If T is a topology on X containing K then
Now ∀n An ∈ G. But n An = {0}. ∴ n An is not an open set. obviously this will be the smallest topology on X containing K and

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 CHAPTER 6. OPEN AND CLOSED SETS - JUNE 8, 2012

hence T = TK .
TK ⊆ T , ∀T ∈ Σ(K)
Clearly,
∴ K ⊆ {T : T ∈ Σ(K)} Let FA = ∩{F : F ∈ FA }
∴K⊆T FA ∈ FA
A ⊆ F ∀F ∈ FA ∴ A ⊆ FA
Exercise 6.1 FA ⊆ F ∀F ∈ FA
1. Verify that T is indeed a topology by verifying the three ∴ FA is the smallest closed set containing A.
axioms.
This set is called the closure of A and is denoted by A. A is a
2. Verify that if X is a metric space and K is the collection closed set iff A = A.
of all open balls in (X, ρ), then TK = G, the collection of
all open sets in (X, ρ). Exercise 6.2 Similarly the largest open set GA contained in
A is the union of all open sets inside A. Verify that GA = A◦ .
Remark 6.2 Complement of an open set need not necessarily
be open. X = (0, 1) is an open set but X0 = (−∞, 0] ∪ [1, ∞) is
not open.

Definition 6.4 Closed Set

Let (X, ρ) be a metric space. A subset A of X is said to be a closed
set if A’ is an open set.

From the properties of the open sets we get the following proper-
ties of closed sets. Let F be the collection of all closed sets in (X, ρ).
Then

1. X, φ ∈ F
T
2. {Aα } ∈ F ⇒ α Aα ∈ F
SN
3. A1 , . . . , AN ∈ F ⇒ j=1 ∈F

Given a set in (X, ρ) we want the largest open set in A and the
smallest closed set containing A.
Let FA be the collection of all closed sets containing A.
X ∈ FA ∴ FA is a non-empty collection.