8.1 Neighbourhood, adherent point, isolated point, accumulation point[29V]

Definition 248 Neighbourhoods

[0GW] 1 Let \((X, τ )\) be a topological space and let \(x_ 0 ∈ X\).

  • We denote as neighbourhood of \(x_ 0\) any superset of an open set containing \(x_ 0\) .

  • We call fundamental system of neighbourhoods of \(x_ 0\) a family \(\{ U_ i \} _{i∈I}\) of neighborhoods \(x_ 0\) with the property that each neighborhood of \(x_ 0\) contains at least one of the \(U_ i\) .

We will say that \(U\) is an open neighborhood of \(x_ 0\) simply to say that \(U\) is an open set that contains \(x_ 0\).

Definition 249

[0GX] Let \(E,F⊆ X\) be sets:

  • a point \(x_ 0 ∈ X\) is an adherent point of \(E\) if every neighborhood \(U\) of \(x_ 0\) has non-empty intersection with \(E\);

  • a point \(x_ 0 ∈ E\) is isolated in \(E\) if there exists a neighborhood \(U\) of \(x_ 0\) such that \(E ∩ U = \{ x_ 0 \} \);

(Note that, in some cases, sets can have at most a countable number of isolated points: see 2 and 1, and also 2).

We also define this concept (already seen in 176 for the case \(X={\mathbb {R}}\)).

Definition 250 accumulation point

[0GY] Given \(A⊆ X\), a point \(x∈ X\) is an accumulation point for \(A\) if, for every neighborhood \(U\) of \(x\), \(U∩ A⧵\{ x\} \) is not empty.  2

The set of all accumulation points of \(A\) is called derived set and will be indicated with \(D(A)\).

[2BN]In the literature accumulation point is also called ”limit point” (which can be confused with the definition 288); for this reason we will not use this wording.  3

E250

[0GZ]Check that in the definitions 249 and 250 you can equivalently use, instead of the neighborhoods \(U\) of \(x_ 0\), the open neighborhoods \(U\) of \(x_ 0\).

E250

[0H0] Check that in the definitions 249 and 250 you can equivalently use neighborhoods \(U\) of \(x_ 0\) chosen from a fixed fundamental system of neighborhoods.

E250

[0H1] Check that the set of points adhering to \(A\) coincides with the closure of \(A\). Hidden solution: [UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’0H2’]

E250

[0H3] Prerequisites:3.Check that \(\overline A=A∪ D(A)\). Hidden solution: [UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’0H4’]

E250

[0H5] A point \(x\in X\) is an accumulation point for \(X\) 4 if and only if the singleton \(\{ x\} \) is not open. Hidden solution: [UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’0H6’]

E250

[0H7] Topics:boundary. Let \(A⊂ X\). Let’s remember the definition of boundary \(∂ A=\overline A⧵ {{A}^\circ }\). Note that \(∂ A\) is closed: indeed setting \(B=A^ c\) to be the complement, it is easily verified that \(∂ A=\overline A∩ \overline B\). In particular we showed that \(∂ A=∂ B\).

Show that the three sets \(∂ A,{{A}^\circ },{{B}^\circ }\) are disjoint, and that their union is \(X\); in particular, show that the three sets are characterized by these three properties:

  • Each neighborhood of \(x\) intersects both \(A\) and \(B\);

  • there exists a neighborhood \(x\) contained in \(A\);

  • there exists a neighborhood \(x\) contained in \(B\).

(See also 286 for the case of metric spaces). Hidden solution: [UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’0H8’]

E250

[0H9] Topics:boundary.Difficulty:*.

Given \(X\) topological space and \(A⊆ X\); if \(A\) is open (or closed) the boundary \(∂ A\) has empty interior; we have \(∂ A⊇ ∂∂ A\) with equality if \(∂ A\) has empty interior; in addition \(∂∂ A= ∂∂∂ A\). Hidden solution: [UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’0HB’][UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’0HC’]

E250

[0HD] Prerequisites:4.If \((X,𝜏)\) is a topological space and \(A⊂ X\) has no isolated points, then also \(\overline A\) does not have isolated points. Hidden solution: [UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’0HF’]

E250

[0HG]Note:written exam, 12/1/2013.Let A be an open subset of \(X\). Prove that, for any subset B of \(X\) , the following inclusion holds: \(A ∩ \overline B ⊆ \overline{A ∩ B}\). Show, by an example, that the conclusion does not hold if you remove the assumption that A is open. Hidden solution: [UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’0HH’]

E250

[0HJ]Given \(E⊆ X\), we distinguish the points \(x∈ X\) in three distinct sets that are a partition of \(X\).

  • For every neighborhood \(U\) of \(x\), \(U⧵\{ x\} \) intersects \(E\). These are the accumulation points of \(E\).

  • \(x∈ E\) and there is a neighborhood \(U\) of \(x\) such that \(U∩ E =\{ x\} \). These are the isolated points in \(E\).

  • Now describe the third set of points

Hidden solution: [UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’0HK’]

  1. Definition 5.6.4 in the notes [ 2 ]
  2. We could call \(U⧵\{ x\} \) a ”deleted neighborhood”; so we are asking that the deleted neighborhood \(U⧵\{ x\} \) has non-empty intersection with \(A\); as we already did in 176.
  3. See in this regard [ 34 ] .
  4. We are taking \(A= X\) in the definition 250.