Math 242 Homework #4 Spring, 2011

Assigned March 21; due April 1. The seven numbered problems are worth 14 points each,
with 2 points added to make 100.
1. Suppose that (X, d) is a metric space, {Kn }∞
1 is a collection of compact subsets of X,
and Kn+1 ⊆ Kn for all n. Let U be an open subset of X. Show that, if ∩∞ 1 Kn ⊆ U , then
there is an N such that KN ⊆ U .
2. Let (X, d) be a metric space, and suppose that {Kn }∞1 is a collection of compact,
connected subsets of X such that Kn+1 ⊆ Kn for all n. Show that ∩∞
1 Kn is connected.

3. Find a collection {Kn }∞ 2

1 of closed, connected subsets of R such that Kn+1 ⊆ Kn for
all n, but for which ∩∞
1 Kn is not connected (assume the normal, k · k-based topology).

4. Let K ⊂ Rd be a compact set (with respect to the k · k-based topology) having the
following property: for every pair of points a and b in K, and for every ² > 0, there
exists a finite sequence {xj }N
0 ⊆ K such that x0 = a, xN = b, and, for all j ∈ {1, . . . , N },
kxj −xj−1 k < ². (Note: N and the sequence depend on ², a, and b!) Show: K is connected.
5. Let (X, d) be a metric space, and let W ⊆ X be a component of X (i.e., a maximal
connected subset). Show that W is closed.
6. Let α : [−1, 1] 7→ R be the following function:
n
1 if x = 0;
α(x) =
0 otherwise.

Show that, if f : [−1, 1] 7→ R is bounded, and f is continuous at 0 (with respect to the

R1
usual | · |-based metric), then f ∈ R(α) on [−1, 1] and −1 f (x) dα(x) = 0.
7. Let α be as in problem #6. Show that if f : [−1, 1] 7→ R is bounded, and f is not
continuous at 0 (with respect to the usual | · |-based metric), then f ∈ / R(α) on [−1, 1].
Hint: First show that if P ∈ P[−1, 1] and 0 ∈ P , then we can make S(P, f, α) = 0 by
choosing the tk ’s properly. Then observe that, if f is not continuous at 0, there is an ² > 0
and there is a sequence xn → 0 such that |f (xn ) − f (0)| > ² for all n.