Math 190: Fall 2014

Homework 3 Solutions
Due 5:00pm on Friday 10/24/2014

Problem 1: (Exercise 16.1 in Munkres) Let X be a topological space, let Y be a

subspace of X, and let A be a subset of Y . Prove that the subspace topology A
inherits as a subset of Y is the same as the subspace topology A inherits as a subset
of X.
Solution: Let T denote the subspace topology on A inherited as a subset of Y and
let T0 denote the subspace topology on A inherited as a subspace of X.
Suppose U ⊂ A and U ∈ T. Then there exists an open set V in Y such that U =
V ∩ A. But since V is open in Y , this means there exists an open set W in X such that
V = Y ∩ W . Putting these equations together, we get that U = W ∩ (X ∩ Y ) = W ∩ Y ,
where we used the fact that Y ⊂ X. This means that U ∈ T0 .
Suppose U ∈ T0 . Then there exists an open set W in X such that U = W ∩ A =
(W ∩ Y ) ∩ A, where we used the fact that A ⊂ Y . But W ∩ Y is open in Y , so that
U ∈ T.
Problem 2: (Exercise 16.3 in Munkres) Consider the set Y = [−1, 1] as a subspace of
R. Which of the following sets are open in Y ? Which are open in R?

A = {x : 1/2 < |x| < 1},

B = {x : 1/2 < |x| ≤ 1},
C = {x : 1/2 ≤ |x| < 1},
D = {x : 1/2 ≤ |x| ≤ 1},
E = {x : 0 < |x| < 1 and 1/x ∈
/ Z>0 }.

Solution: A is open in both Y and R. To see this, it is enough to observe that A is

open in R. Indeed, if x ∈ A, then B(x, ) ⊂ A, where  = min(|x| − 1/2, 1 − |x|) > 0.
This means that A is open in R.
B is open in Y , but not open in R. To see that B is not open in R, observe
that 1 ∈ B but for any  > 0 we have B(1, ) 6⊂ B. On the other hand, we can
write B = ((1/2, 3/2) ∪ (−3/2, −1/2)) ∩ Y , which shows that B is open in Y as
(1/2, 3/2) ∪ (−3/2, −1/2) is open in R.
C is open in neither Y nor R. It is enough to show that C is not open in Y . Indeed,
if C were open in Y , there would exist U ⊂ R open such that C = U ∩ Y . But then
(as 1/2 ∈ C) where would exist  > 0 such that B(1/2, ) ⊂ U . But then there would
exist 0 > 0 such that B(1/2, 0 ) ⊂ C, which is false.
D is open in neither Y nor R. It is enough to show that D is not open in Y . Indeed,
if D were open in Y , there would exist U ⊂ R open such that D = U ∩ Y . But then
(as 1/2 ∈ D) where would exist  > 0 such that B(1/2, ) ⊂ U . But then there would
exist 0 > 0 such that B(1/2, 0 ) ⊂ D, which is false.
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E is open in both Y and R. It is enough to show that E is open in R. Indeed, let

x ∈ E. If x < 0, then B(x, ) ⊂ E, where  = min(|x|, 1−|x|) > 0. If 0 < x < 1, choose
1
n ∈ Z>0 such that n+1 < x < n1 . Then B(x, 0 ) ⊂ E, where 0 = min( n1 −x, x− n+1
1
) > 0.
Problem 3: (Exercise 16.8 in Munkres) Let L be a straight line in the plane. Describe
the topology L inherits as a subspace of R` × R and as a subspace of R` × R` . In each
case it is a familiar topology. (Hint: Your answer may depend on the slope of L.)
Solution: Let us first consider the case of R` × R. We claim that the topology
inherited by L is R` unless L is a vertical line, in which case it is R. Indeed, a typical
basis element of the subspace topology on L is obtained by intersecting a typical basis
element (of the form [a, b) × (c, d)) of the topology of R` × R with L. If L is not a
vertical line, the intersections ([a, b)×(c, d))∩L can be either an open interval on L or a
half-open interval on L with the left endpoint included (where the former is impossible
if L is a horizontal line). Since the half-open intervals above generate the topology R`
on L, and the open intervals above are open in the topology R` on L, it follows that L
inherits the topology R` in this case. On the other hand, if L is a vertical line, then the
intersections ([a, b) × (c, d)) ∩ L are all open intervals on L. It follows that L inherits
the standard topology R in this case.
Let us now consider the case of R` × R` . We claim that the topology inherited by L
is R` , unless L is a non-vertical line with strictly negative slope, in which case it is the
discrete topology. Indeed, let us consider the intersections ([a, b) × [c, d)) ∩ L of basis
elements of R` × R` with the line L. If L is a vertical line with strictly negative slope,
for any a × c ∈ L, we can realize {a × c} = ([a, a + 1) × [c, c + 1)) ∩ L as an intersection
of this form, so that {a × c} is open in L and the topology on L is discrete. Otherwise,
we have that the intersections ([a, b) × [c, d)) ∩ L are either half-open intervals in L with
the leftmost endpoint included or open intervals in L (where the latter is impossible
if L is horizontal or vertical). As in the previous paragraph, we conclude that the
topology on L is R` .
Problem 4: (Exercise 17.9 in Munkres) Let X and Y be topological spaces and
suppose A ⊂ X and B ⊂ Y . Prove that A × B = A × B.
Solution: Let (x, y) ∈ A × B. We show that x ∈ A; the proof that y ∈ B is symmetric.
Let U be a neighborhood of x in X. Then U × Y is a neighborhood of (x, y) in X × Y ,
so that (U × Y ) ∩ (A × B) 6= ∅. But this means that U ∩ A 6= ∅. This implies that
x ∈ A.
Let x ∈ A and y ∈ B. We show that (x, y) ∈ A × B. Indeed, let U be a neighborhood
of (x, y) in X × Y . Then there exist open sets V in X and W in Y such that (x, y) ∈
V × W ⊂ U . This implies that V ∩ A 6= ∅ and W ∩ B 6= ∅. But this forces (V × W ) ∩
(A × B) 6= ∅, so that U ∩ (A × B) 6= ∅. We conclude that (x, y) ∈ A × B.
Problem 5: (Exercise 17.13 in Munkres) Let X be a topological space. Prove that X
is Hausdorff if and only if the diagonal ∆ = {(x, x) : x ∈ X} is closed in X × X.
Solution: Suppose X is Hausdorff; we prove X − ∆ is open in X × X.. Let (x, y) ∈
X × X − ∆, so that x 6= y. Then there exist open sets U, V in X such that x ∈ U ,
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y ∈ V , and U ∩ V = ∅. This means that (x, y) ∈ U × V and (U × V ) ∩ ∆ = ∅. We

conclude that X × X − ∆ is open in X × X, so that ∆ is closed in X × X.
Suppose that ∆ is closed in X ×X. Let x, y ∈ X with x 6= y. Then (x, y) ∈
/ ∆. Since
∆ is closed in X × X, we can find open sets U and V in X such that (x, y) ∈ U × V
and (U × V ) ∩ ∆ = ∅. Since (x, y) ∈ U × V , we get that x ∈ U and y ∈ V . Since
(U × V ) ∩ ∆ = ∅, we get that U ∩ V = ∅. We conclude that X is Hausdorff.
Problem 6: (Exercise 17.14 in Munkres) Endow R with the finite complement topol-
ogy. To what point or points does the sequence xn = 1/n converge?
Solution: We claim that xn converges to every real number! To see this, let x ∈ R
and let U be a neighborhood of x in the finite complement topology. Then R − U is
a finite set. Since {xn : n ∈ Z>0 } is an infinite set, there exists N such that n > N
implies xn ∈ U . We conclude that xn → x.
Problem 7: (Exercise 18.3 in Munkres) Let X and X 0 denote a single set considered
in two different topologies, T and T0 . Consider the identity function i : X → X 0 . Prove
that i is continuous if and only if T is finer than T0 . Prove that i is a homeomorphism
if and only if T = T0 .
Solution: We have that i is continuous if and only if for every U 0 ∈ T0 , we have that
i−1 (U 0 ) = U 0 ∈ T, which happens if and only if T is finer than T0 . We have that i is a
homeomorphism if and only if both i and i−1 : X 0 → X are continuous, which by the
last sentence means that both T0 ⊂ T and T ⊂ T0 , i.e., T = T0 .
Problem 8: (Exercise 18.2 in Munkres) Let f : X → Y be a continuous function. If
x is a limit point of a subset A of X, is it necessarily true that f (x) is a limit point of
f (A)?
Solution: No. Let X = Y = R (with the standard topology) and let f : X → Y be
the point map f (x) = 0 for all x ∈ X. We have that {1} is a limit point of A = (0, 1),
but f (1) = {0} is not a limit point of f (A) = {0}.
Problem 9: (Exercise 18.10 in Munkres) Let f : A → B and g : C → D be continuous
functions. Define a new function f × g : A × C → B × D by (f × g)(a, c) = (f (a), g(c)).
Prove that f × g is continuous.
Solution: Let U be an open set in B and let V be an open set in D, so that U × V is a
typical basic open set of the product B ×D. It is enough to show that (f ×g)−1 (U ×V )
is open in A × C. But (f × g)−1 (U × V ) = f −1 (U ) × g −1 (V ). We know that f −1 (U ) is
open in A because f is continuous and we know that g −1 (V ) is open in C because g is
continuous. We conclude that f −1 (U ) × g −1 (V ) is open in A × C, as desired.