89

GENERALIZED CLOSED SETS IN TOPOLOGY

by Norman Levine (Columbus, U. S. A.)

1. Among the more important properties of closed sets are the foltowing:
(i) A closed subset of a compact (Lindelof, paracompact, counfably com-
pact) space is also compact (Lindelof, paracompact, countably compact).
(ii) A closed subset of a normal space is normal.
(iii) A closed subset of a complete uniform space is complete.
(iv) A closed subset of a locally compact space is locally compact.
(v) A compact set in a Hausdorff space is a closed set.
In w 2 we shall define generalized closed (written henceforth as g-closed)
sets and characterize them as well as determine their behavior relative to
unions, intersections and subspaces.
In w 3 we show that g-closed sets have properties analogous to (i)-(v)
listed above.
In w 4 generalized open (g-open) sets are introduced and standard pro-
perties are investigated.
In w 5 we define a T1/2 space to be one in which the closed sets and the
g-closed sets coincide. As the notation suggests, TI/~ is strictly between Ti
and To.
Images and inverse images of g-closed and g-open sets under continuous
closed transformations are explored in w 6.
w 7 is devoted to the study of cartesian products of g-closed sets, g-open
sets and T~/~ spaces.
~0 NORMAN LEVINE

We conclude the paper with w 8 in which we define a space to be sym-

metric iff x E c(y) implies that y E c(x), c denoting the closure operator.
Symmetric spaces are shown to be those in which singleton sets are g-closed.
In symmetric spaces, To, Tt/2, Tt are shown to be equivalent.

2. Definition 2.1. A set A is g-closed iff c(A)C__ 0 whenever A C_ 0 and 0

is open.
We characterize g-closed sets in
Theorem 2.2. A set A is g-closed iff c ( A ) - - A contains no non empty
closed set.
Proof. Necessity. Let F be a closed subset of c ( A ) - - A . Now A C_ C F
and since A is g-closed, we have c(A) C_C_CF or FC_ Cc(A). Thus F C c ( A )
n Cc(A) = tJ and F is empty.
Sufficiency. Suppose that A__C0 and that 0 is open. If c(A) ~ 0, then
c(A) N CO is a non empty closed subset of c ( A ) - - A .
Corollary 2.3. A g-closed set A is closed iff c ( A ) - A is closed.
Proof. If A is closed, then c ( A ) - - A = ~ . Conversely, suppose that c(A)--A
is closed. But A is g-closed and c ( A ) - A is a closed subset of itself. By
theorem 2.2, c(A) - - A = fJ and hence c(A) = A.
Theorem 2.4. If A and B are g-closed, then A U B is g-closed.
Proof. If A U B C _ 0 and if 0 is open, then c ( A U B ) = c ( A ) U c ( B ) C _ 0 .
Example 2.5. The intersection of two. g-closed sets is generally not a
g-closed set. To see this, let X = {a, b, c} and let J = {~, {a}, X}. If A = la, b}
and B = {a, c), then A and B are each g-closed, but A N B is not g-closed.
Theorem 2.6. Suppose that B C A C X, B is a g-closed set relative to A
and that A is a g-closed subset of X. Then B is g-closed relative to X.
Proof. Let B C _ 0 and suppose that 0 is open in X. Then B C _ A A 0 and
hence CA(B) C_ A N 0. It follows then that A n c (B) c_C_A n 0 and A C_ 0 U e c (B).
Since A is g-closed in X, we have c(A) C 0 U Gc(B). Therefore c(B) C_ c (A)
C 0 U e c (B) and c(B) C O.
Corollary 2.7. Let A be a g-closed set and suppose that F is a closed set.
Then A n F is a g-closed set (see example 2.5).
Proof. A N F is closed in A and hence g-closed in A. Now apply theorem 2.6.
Theorem 2.8. If A is g-closed and A C
C_ B C c(A), then B is g-closed.
 GENERALIZED CLOSED SETS IN T O P O L O G Y 91

Proof. c(B) -- B C__c(A) -- A and since c ( A ) - - A has no non empty closed

subsets, neither does c(B)---B. Apply theorem 2.2.
Theorem 2.9. Let A C Y C X and suppose that A is g-closed in X. Then A
is g-closed relative to Y.
Proof. Let A C Y N 0 and suppose that 0 is open in X. Then A C 0 and
hence c(A) C O. It follows then that Y N c(A) C Y t~ O.
Theorem 2.10. In a topological space (X, J), ~ 7 - - ~ (the closed sets) iff
every subset of X is a g-closed set.
Proof. Suppose that . ~ ' ~ ~
and that A C O E ~ 7 . Then c(A) C c ( 0 ) - - 0
and A is g-closed. Conversely, suppose that every subset of X is g-closed.
Let 0 E J . Then since 0 C 0 and 0 is g-closed, we have c(0) C:0 and 0 E ~ .
Thus J C ~. If F E ~, then C F E J C ~ and hence F E 9". Finally, J ~ ~.

3. Theorem 3.1. Let (X, J ) be a compact topological space and suppose

that A is a g-closed subset of X. Then A is compact.
Proof. Let r be an open cover oi A. Then c ( A ) C U ~ since A is g-closed.
But c(A) is compact and it follows that A C c(A)C 0~ U ... U 0n for some 0~E ~.
Theorem 3.2. Let (X, J ) be Lindelof (or paracompact or countably compact)
and suppose that A is a g-closed subset of X. Then A is Lindelof (or para-
compact or countably compact).
Proof. Modify the proof of theorem 3.1.
Theorem 3.3. Let (X, $7) be a normal space and suppose that Y is a
g-closed subset of X. Then (Y, Yfh .7) is normal.
Proof. Let E and F be closed in X and suppose that ( Y N E ) ( ~ (YfhF)--fJ.
Then Y C C ( E G F ) E.7 and hence c ( Y ) C C ( E f 3 F ) . Thus ( c ( Y ) f I E )
f'l (c (Y) CI F) -----fl. Since (X, .7) is normal, there exist open disjoint sets 0~
and 0~ such that c ( Y ) O E C 0 ~ and c ( Y ) N F C 0 ~ . It follows then that
Y N E C O ~ A Y and YAFC__O2A Y.
Theorem 3.4. If (X, c/~) is a complete uniform space and if A is a g-closed
subset of X, then (A, A X A n ~ ) is complete.
Proof. Let S be an A X A N ~ cauchy net in A. Then S is a ~ cauchy
net in X and hence there exists a point x in X such that lim S = x relative to
._q(~). But A n c ( x ) ~ f J . For if A n c ( x ) = f J , then A C C c ( x ) and xEc(A)C__~c(x).
It follows that x ~ c(x), a contradiction. Let then y E A n c(x). It is easy to see
that y E A and that lira S - - y relative to A n--q'(q0.
92 NORMAN LEVINE

Theorem 3.5. If (X, 3) is regular and if A is compact, then A is g-closed.

Proof. Suppose that A C_0 E ~. Then there exists an 0* E 3 such that
A C_ 0* C c(0*) C 0 and it follows that c(A)_C 0.
Theorem 3.6. If (X, .9") is regular and locally compact and if A is a
g-closed subset of X, then A is locally compact in the relative topology.
Proof. Let xEA. Then x E N C X where N is a compact neighborhood of x.
Since (X, J ) is regular, there exists an 0ES7 such that x E O C _ c ( 0 ) C N .
Now A A c (0) is a neighborhood of x in A and is g-closed in X by corollary 2.7.
By theorem 2.9, A Nc(0) is g-closed in N and therefore compact by theorem 3.1.
Theorem 3.7. If (X, .9") is normal and F (1 A = tJ where F is closed and A
is g-closed, then there exist disjoint open sets 0~ and 0~ such that F C_ 0i
and A C 0z.
Proof. A C C F 6 ~ 7 and hence c(A)CCF. Thus e(A) N F = f ~ . The reader
can easily complete the proof.
Example 3.8. Disjoint g-closed sets in a normal space generally cannot be
separated by open sets. For, let X----- la, b, cl and let ~7= I~, [al, XI. Then {hi
and lel are disjoint g-closed sets which cannot be separated.

4, Definition 4.1. A set A will be called generalized open (written hence-

forth as g-open) iff GA is g-closed.
Theorem 4.2. A set A is g-open iff F C_ Int A whenever F is closed
and F C_ A.
We leave the simple proof for the reader.
Theorem 4.3. If A and B are separated g-open sets, then A U B is g-open.
Proof. Let F be a closed subset of A U B . Then F(3c(A) C A and hence
by theorem 4.2, F t~ c (A) C Int A. Similarly, F N c (B) C_ lnt B. Now
f ---- f N (A U B) C_ (F f~ c (A)) A (F t~ c (B)) C lnt A U Int B C_ Int (A U B).
Hence FC_ Int (A U B) and by theorem 4.2, A U B is g-open.
The union of two g-open sets is generally not g-open. (See example 2.5).
Corollary 4.4. Let A and B be two g-closed sets and suppose that CA and
CB are separated. Then A N B is g-closed (see theorem 2.6 and corollary 2.7).
The proof follows immediately from theorem 4.3 by showing that C(AAB)
is g-open.
 GENERALIZED CLOSED SETS I N T O P O L O G Y 93

Theorem 4.5. A set A is g-open in (X, 57) iff 0 = X whenever 0 is open

and I n t A U e A C 0 .
Proof. Necessity. Suppose that 0 is open and that IntA U CA C 0. Now
~0 C_
C c(eA) fh A = c(GA) -- CA. Since ~ 0 is closed and G.A is g-closed, by
theorem 2.2 it follows that C O - - t ~ or X - - 0 .
Sufficiency. Suppose that F is a closed set and F C A. By theorem 4.2,
it suffices to show that F C I n t A . Now I n t A U C A C I n t A U C F and hence
lnt A U C F - - X . It follows then that F C IntA.
Theorem 4.6. If A C B C X where A is g-open relative to B and B is
g-open relative to X, then A is g-open relative to X. (See theorem 2.6).
Proof. Let F be a closed set and suppose that F C A. Then F is closed
relative to B and hence F C IntB A. Therefore there exists an open set 0 such
that F C O A B C A . But F C 0 * C B for some open set 0* since B is g-open
in X. Thus F C 0 * N O C B f q 0 C A . It follows then that F C I n t A . Applying
theorem 4.2, A is g-open in X.
The analogue of theorem 2.9 for g-open sets is false as shown by
Example 4.7. Let X = {a, b, c} and suppose that 9 " = {0, [a}, X}. If A = {b}
and Y = {a, b}, then A is g-open in X, but not g-open in Y.
Analogous to theorem 2.8 we have
Theorem 4.8. If I n t A C B C A and if A is g-open, then B is g-open.
Proof. C A C G B C c ( C A ) and since CA is g-closed, it follows that CB
is g-closed by theorem 2.8. Thus B is g-open.
We conclude this paragraph with
Theorem 4.9. A set A is g-closed iff c ( A ) - - A is g-open.
Proof. Necessity. Suppose that A is g-closed and that F C c ( A ) - A, F
being closed. By theorem 2.2, F - - t ~ and hence F C Int ( c ( A ) - A). By theo-
rem 4.2, c ( A ) - A is g-open.
Sufficiency. Suppose A C 0 where 0 is an open set. Now c ( A ) N e o
C_C_c(A) N C A = c ( A ) - - A and since c(A) f3CO is closed and c ( A ) - - A is
g-open, it follows that c (A) A CO C Int (c (A)-- A) -- ~J. Therefore c ( A ) N ~ 0 = I J
or c ( A ) C O. Thus A is g-closed.

5. Definition 5.1. We shall call a topological space a T~/~ space iff every
g-closed set is closed.
Theorem 5.2. T~/~ implies To.
94 NORMAN LEVINE

Proof. Suppose that (X, ,7) is a non To space. Then there exist distinct
points x and y such that c ( x ) = c(y). Let A : c(x)(h e lx}. We will show
that A is g-closed, but not closed. If x E 0 6 . 7 , then 0 1 " I A D { y ) ~ O and
hence x E c(A). Clearly x ~ A and thus A is not closed. Now suppose that
A C 0 * E . 7 . To show that c(A) C_0*, it suffices to show that c(x) C_C_0*. But
c(x) (h C{x} = A C 0 * and thus we need only show that x E 0'. But if x E CO*,
then y E c(x) C CO*. It is of course clear that y EA C 0 * and hence y E o * N e o * ,
a contradiction.
Theorem 5.3. T~ implies T~/s.
Proof. Suppose that A is a set which is not closed. Take x 6 c ( A ) - A.
Then {x)C c ( A ) - - A and {x) is closed since we are in a T1 space. By theo-
rem 2.2, A is not g-closed.
Example 5.4. Let X----- {a, b} and suppose that `7-----{1~,{a}, X}. Then (X, `7)
is a T~/e space which is not Tl.
Example 5.5. Let X = In, b, c} and suppose that .9"= I~, [a}, {a, b}, X}.
This space is a To space, but not a T~/~ space since /a, c} is g-closed, but
not closed.
Corollary 5.6. The property of Tj/~ is strictly between To and T~.

6. Theorem 6.1. If A is a g-closed set in X and if f : X - ~ Y is continuous

and closed, then f[A] is g-closed in Y.
Proof. If f[A] C O" where 0' is open in Y, then A C f - l [ 0 ' ] and hence
e(A) C f-~[O']. Thus f[c(A)] C O" and f[c(A)] is a closed set. It follows that
c (f[A]) C c ( f [ c (A)]) : f [c (A)] C 0'. Then c ( f [A]) C 0' and f [A] if g-closed.
Example 6.2. Under closed continuous maps, g-open sets are generally
not taken into g-open sets. For let X = {a} and Y : {b, c}, J : {~0, X} and
` 7 ' = lq~, {b}, Y). Let f(a) = c. tc} is not a g-open set.
Theorem 6.3. If f : X - ~ Y is continuous and closed and if B is a g-closed
(or g-open) subset of Y, then f-~[B] is g-closed (or g-open) in X.
Proof. Suppose that B is a g-closed subset of Y and that f-~[B] C 0 where
0 is open in X. We will show that c(f-l[B])CO or that c(f-l[B])fh CO = fJ.
Now f [c (f-1 [B]) N C 0] C c (B) - - B and by theorem 2.2, f[c (f-l[B]) N C 0] = t~.
Thus c(f-~[Bj) N C O = f J . By taking complements, we can show that if B is
g-open in Y, then f-~[B] is g-open in X.
 GENERALIZED CLOSED SETS IN TOPOLOGY ~5

Under continuous open maps, neither images nor inverse images of

g-closed (or g-open) sets are g-closed (or g-open). We leave it to the reader
to construct examples.

7. Theorem 7.1. If (X, J ) = X I(X~, .9'~,): ~ E A} and if A~ is g-closed

in Xs for each ~ in 4, then X {A~: ~ E 4} is g-closed in X.
Proof. Let Q = c ( X I A ~ :
~ E z ~ } ) - - X { A ~ : ~E~}. By theorem 2.2, is suf-
rices to show that Q contains no non empty closed set. Suppose, on the
contrary that c(x)C_Q for some x E X where x-----X{x~: ~E~}. It follows then
that c~(x~)C c~(A~) for each ~ in A and since c~(A~)~ As contains no non
empty closed set by theorem 2.2, we have c~(xs)AA~ ~ 0 for each ~ in z~.
Choose x'~Ec~(x~)AA~ for each ~ and let x ' = X { x ~ : ~Ez~l. Then
x'E c(x') -----• {c~(x~): ~E~) C_ X lc~(x~): ~ E z~} -----c(x) C___O c C • {As: ~ E z~I.
Thus x ' ~ X {A~,: ~ E 2~t contradicting the fact that x'~EA~, for each ~.
Example 7.2. In theorem 7.1, we cannot replace g-closed with g-open.
For let Xn = {a, b} and let .7~-----{~, {al, {b}, X~I. If (X, ~ ) = X[(X~, J~): nEP}
and if An-----{a} be each n E P , then A~ is g-open for all n, but X {An: nEP} is
not g-open since it is a closed set with an empty interior.
Howeverl we do have
Theorem 7.3. Suppose that A is g-open in X and that B is g-open in Y.
Then A X B is g-open in X X Y.
Proof. Suppose that F is closed in X X Y and that F C A X B . By theo-
rem 4.2, it suffices to show that F C I n t ( A X B ) . Let (x, y)EF. Then c((x, y))=
=c(x) Xc(y)C_FC_AXB and it follows then that c(x) C_lntA and that
c ( y ) _ C l n t B . Thus (x, y) E c ( x ) X c ( y ) C l n t A X l n t B _ _ C l n t ( A X B ) .
Example 7.4. The product of two Tj/~ spaces is generally not a T~/z space.
For let X = l a , bl and 3 . = 1 0 , {a}, X}. If Q = { ( a , b)}, then Q is g-open in
XXX, but Q is not open in X X X . Thus X X X is not a T~/~ space
although X is a T~/~ space.

8. Definition 8.1. A space (X, J ) will be termed symmetric iff for x and y
in X, then x E c ( y ) implies that y E c ( x ) .
Theorem 8.2. A space (X, 3") is symmetric iff {xl is g-closed for each x in X.
Proof. Sufficiency. Suppose x E c(y), but y ~ c(x). Then {y} C Cc(x) and
thus c(y) CCc(x). Then xECc(x), a contradiction.
~6 NORMAN LEVINE

Necessity. Suppose Ix) C_ 0 ~ ~', but c(x) gg O. Then c(x) f3 CO ~ gl; take
yEc(x) ~ CO. Therefore x E c ( y ) C CO and x ~ 0, a contradiction.
Corollary 8.3. T~ implies symmetric.
Proof. In a T~ space, singleton sets are closed and hence g-closed. By
theorem 8.2, the space is symmetric.
Example 8.4. Symmetric does not imply Tt as a two point indiscrete
space shows.
Corollary 8.5. A space (X, 57) is symmetric and To iff (X, ..q) is T~.
Proof. By corollary 8.3, it suffices to prove only the necessity. Let then
x ~ y and by To, we may assume that xCOCC{y) for some 0 E J . Then
x ~ c (y) and hence y ~ c (x). There exists then an 0* E J such that y E 0* C_ G {x}
and (X, .9) is a T~ space.
Theorem 8.6. If (X, J ) is a symmetric space, then (X, --q) is To iff (X, ~7)
is TI/~ iff (X, .9") is T t.
The proof follows from corollary 8.5 and corollary 5.6.

CoIumbus (Ohio), January I970.

REFERENCE

[1] Steven A. Gaal, Point Set Topology, Academic Press, 1964. New York and London.