8.7 Continuity and limits[2B8]

Definition 263 Limit

[0KB] 1 Let \((X, τ )\) and \((Y, σ)\) be two topological spaces, with \((Y, σ)\) Hausdorff.  2 Let \(E ⊆ X\) and \(f : E → Y\) . Let also \(x_ 0\) be an accumulation point of \(E\) in \(X\). We define that \(\lim _{x→x_ 0} f (x) = ℓ ∈ Y\) if and only if, for every neighborhood \(V\) of \(ℓ\) in \(Y\), there exists \(U\) neighbourhood of \(x_ 0\) in \(X\) such that \(f (U ∩ E ⧵ \{ x_ 0 \} ) ⊆ V\) .

Definition 264

[2B9]Let \((X, τ )\) and \((Y, σ)\) be two topological spaces, with \((Y, σ)\) Hausdorff; let \(f:X\to Y\) be a function.

It is said that \(f\) is continuous in \(x_ 0\) if \(\lim _{x→x_ 0} f (x) = f(x_ 0)\).

It is said that \(f\) is continuous if (equivalently)

  • if \(f\) is continuous at every point, that is \(\lim _{x→y} f (x) = f(y)\) for every \(y∈ X\), or

  • if \(f^{-1}(A)∈ τ\) for each \(A∈ σ\).

(Thm. 5.7.4 in the notes [ 2 ] .).

A continuous bijective function \(f:X\to Y\) such that the inverse function \(f^{-1}:Y\to X\) is again continuous, is called homeomorphism.

E264

[2BB](Proposed on 2022-12) Consider this statement.

«Let \(f:X\to Y\) and \(x_ 0\in X\), then \(f\) is continuous at \(x_ 0\) when, for every open set \(B\subseteq Y\) with \(f(x_ 0)\in B\), we have that \(f^{-1}(B)\) is open.»

This statement is incorrect.

Build an example of a function \(f:{\mathbb {R}}\to {\mathbb {R}}\) that is continuous at \(x_ 0=0\) but such that, for every \(J=(a,b)\) open non-empty bounded interval, \(f^{-1}(J)\) is not open. Hidden solution: [UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’2BC’]

E264

[225]Difficulty:*.

Let \(Y\) be a topological space. We say that \(Y\) satisfies the property (P) with respect to a topological space \(X\) when it satisfies this condition: for every dense subset \(A⊆ X\) and every pair of continuous functions \(f,g: X→ Y\) such that \(f(a)=g(a)\) for every \(a∈ A\), necessarily there follows that \(f=g\).

Prove that \(Y\) is Hausdorff if and only if it satisfies the property (P) with respect to any topological space \(X\).

E264

[0KC] Prerequisites:251.Explain how Definition 261 can be seen as a special case of Definition 263. (Hint. proceed as in the note 251 and set \(E=J,X=I,x_ 0=∞\)).

E264

[0KD]Prerequisites:3.Let \(X,Y\) be topological Hausdorff space. Let \(E⊆ X\), let \(f:E→ Y\), and suppose that \(x_ 0\) is an accumulation point of \(E\) in \(X\).

  • If \(\lim _{x→ x_ 0}f(x)=ℓ\) then, for each net \(φ:J→ X\) with \(\lim _{j∈ J} φ(j) = x_ 0\) we have \(\lim _{j∈ J} f(φ(j)) = ℓ\).

  • Consider the filtering set \(J\) given by the neighborhoods of \(x_ 0\); 3 consider nets \(φ:J→ X\) with the property that \(φ(U)∈ U⧵\{ x_ 0\} \) for each \(U∈ J\). We note that \(\lim _{j∈ J} φ(j) = x_ 0\).

    If for each such net \(\lim _{j∈ J} f(φ(j)) = ℓ\), then \(\lim _{x→ x_ 0}f(x)=ℓ\).

Hidden solution: [UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’0KF’]

E264

[0KG]Prerequisites:1,3.Let \(X,Y\) be Hausdorff topological spaces. Let \(f:X→ Y\), \(x_ 0\in X\). The following are equivalent.

  1. \(f\) is continuous at \(x_ 0\);

  2. for each net \(φ:J→ X\) such that

    \[ \lim _{j∈ J} φ(j) = x_ 0 \]

    we have

    \[ \lim _{j∈ J} f(φ(j)) = f(x_ 0)\quad . \]

Hint, for proving that 2 implies 1. Suppose that \(x_ 0\) is an accumulation point. Consider the filtering set \(J\) given by the neighborhoods of \(x_ 0\); consider nets \(φ:J→ X\) with the property that \(φ(U)∈ U\) for each \(U∈ J\); note that \(\lim _{j∈ J} φ(j) = x_ 0\).

Hidden solution: [UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’0KH’]

[UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’0KJ’]

  1. Definition 5.7.2 in the notes [ 2 ] .
  2. To have uniqueness of the limit and therefore to give an unique meaning to \(\lim _{x→x_ 0} f (x)\) as an element of \(Y\).
  3. The fact that this is filtering was shown in 3, 8 and 5