If (𝑋, 𝜏) is a topological space, then a subset 𝑌 of 𝑋 is said to be compact if it is

compact with respect to the subspace topology 𝜏𝑌 i.e., if (𝑌, 𝜏𝑌 ) is compact.

Notation 1: If (𝑋, 𝜏) is a topological space and 𝑌 is a subset of 𝑋, then a family
𝒢 = {𝐺𝛼 : 𝛼 ∈ Λ}, Λ being index set, of subsets of 𝑋 is called a cover of 𝑌, if 𝑌 ⊂
⋃𝛼∈Λ 𝐺𝛼 .

If (𝑋, 𝜏) is a topological space and 𝑌 is a subset of 𝑋, then a family 𝒢 of subsets

of 𝑋 is called an open cover of 𝑌 if 𝒢 is a cover of 𝑌 by sets which are open in
(𝑋, 𝜏) unless otherwise stated.

Example 2:
(a) Any finite set in any topological space is compact.

(b) Any subset of a co-finite topological space is compact.

Verification:
Let (𝑋, 𝜏) be a co-finite space and 𝑌 be any subset of 𝑋.
Let 𝒱 = {𝑉𝛼 : 𝛼 ∈ Λ}, Λ being index set, be any open cover of 𝑌, where 𝑉𝛼 ∈
𝜏𝑌 . Let 𝑦0 ∈ 𝑌. Then ∃𝑉𝛼 0 ∈ 𝒱 such that 𝑦0 ∈ 𝑉𝛼 0 . Then 𝑉𝛼 0 = 𝐺𝛼 0 ∩ 𝑌
for some 𝐺𝛼 0 ∈ 𝜏. Since 𝐺𝛼 0 ∈ 𝜏, so 𝑋 − Gα 0 is a finite set and so
(𝑋 − 𝐺𝛼 0 ) ∩ 𝑌 is a finite set. Let (𝑋 − 𝐺𝛼 0 ) ∩ 𝑌 = {𝑦1 , 𝑦2 , … , 𝑦𝑛 }. Then
for each 𝑖(1 ≤ 𝑖 ≤ 𝑛), there exists 𝑉𝛼 𝑖 ∈ 𝒱 such that 𝑦𝑖 ∈ 𝑉𝛼 𝑖 . Thus
𝑛

𝑌 = 𝑋 ∩ 𝑌 = [(𝑋 − 𝐺𝛼 0 ) ∩ 𝑌] ∪ [𝐺𝛼 0 ∩ 𝑌] ⊂ ⋃ 𝑉𝛼 𝑖 .
𝑖=0
Since {𝑉𝛼 0 , 𝑉𝛼 1 , 𝑉𝛼 2 , … , 𝑉𝛼 𝑛 } is a finite subcollection of 𝒱 and also covers𝑌,
so it is a finite sub-cover of 𝒱 for 𝑌 in (𝑌, 𝜏𝑌 ). Hence (𝑌, 𝜏𝑌 ) is compact.

• From Example 1(b) and Example 2(b) we see that, any co-finite topological
space is compact and any subset of a co-finite topological space is also
compact.

Theorem 2: A subset 𝑌 of a topological space (𝑋, 𝜏) is compact if and only if

every covering of 𝑌 by sets which are open in 𝑋, has a finite subcollection
covering 𝑌.
4
Proof: Let 𝑌 be a compact subset of a topological space (𝑋, 𝜏). Let 𝒢 = {𝑂𝛼 : 𝛼 ∈
Λ}, Λ being index set, be a collection of sets open in (𝑋, 𝜏) covering 𝑌. Let 𝑉𝛼 =
𝑂𝛼 ∩ 𝑌, 𝛼 ∈ Λ. Then {𝑉𝛼 : 𝛼 ∈ Λ} is a collection of sets open in ( 𝑌, 𝜏𝑌 ) covering
𝑌. Since 𝑌 is compact, so there exists a finite subset Λ0 of Λ such that {𝑉𝛼 : 𝛼 ∈
Λ0 } is a finite sub-collection of {𝑉𝛼 : 𝛼 ∈ Λ} which covers 𝑌. Then {𝑂𝛼 : 𝛼 ∈ Λ0 }
is a finite sub-collection of 𝒢 covering 𝑌.
Conversely, let the given condition hold. Let 𝒞 = {𝐺𝛼 : 𝛼 ∈ Λ}, Λ being index set,
be a covering of 𝑌 by sets which are open in (𝑌, 𝜏𝑌 ). Then for each 𝛼 ∈ Λ, 𝐺𝛼 =
𝑂𝛼 ∩ 𝑌 for some 𝑂𝛼 ∈ 𝜏. Then {𝑂𝛼 : 𝛼 ∈ Λ} is a covering of 𝑌 by sets which are
open in (𝑋, 𝜏). So, by the given condition, there exists a finite subset Λ0 of Λ such
that {𝑂𝛼 : 𝛼 ∈ Λ0 } is a cover of 𝑌. Then {𝐺𝛼 : 𝛼 ∈ Λ0 } is a finite sub-collection of
𝒞 covering 𝑌. Hence (𝑌, 𝜏𝑌 ) is compact i.e. 𝑌 is compact.

An arbitrary subspace of a compact space need not be compact. For

example, in the real number space (ℝ, 𝜏𝑢 ), where 𝜏𝑢 is the usual topology on ℝ,
the closed interval [0, 1] is compact. Now (0,1) is a subspace of [0,1] with respect
to the subspace topology but (0,1) is not compact.
Also, any closed subset of an arbitrary topological space need not be
compact. For example, let ℝ be the set of real number and let 𝜏 be the discrete
topology on ℝ, then ( ℝ, 𝜏) is a topological in which ℕ is closed but not compact.
But we have the following result.
Theorem 3: Any closed subset of a compact space is compact.
Proof: Let (𝑋, 𝜏) be a compact space and 𝐴 be any closed subset of 𝑋. Let 𝒢 =
{𝑂𝛼 : 𝛼 ∈ Λ}, Λ being index set, be a cover of 𝐴 by sets which are open in 𝑋. Then
{𝑂𝛼 : 𝛼 ∈ Λ} ∪ {𝑋 − 𝐴} = 𝒢 ∗ (say), is a cover of 𝑋 by sets which are open in 𝑋.
Since 𝑋 is compact, so there exists a finite subcollection 𝒢 ′ of 𝒢 ∗ which covers 𝑋
and so covers 𝐴. Since no point of 𝐴 is contained in 𝑋 − 𝐴, so 𝒢 ′ − {(𝑋 − 𝐴)} is

5
a finite subcollection of 𝒢 that covers 𝐴. Hence (𝐴, 𝜏𝐴 ) is compact i.e. 𝐴 is
compact.
Exercise 1: Is every compact subset of a topological space closed? Support your
answer.
Solution: No. To show this we consider the following example.
Let 𝑋 = { 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐, 𝑑} and 𝜏 = { ∅, 𝑋, {𝑎}, {𝑏}, {𝑎, 𝑏}}. Then (𝑋, 𝜏) is a topological
space. Let 𝐴 = { 𝑏, 𝑐}. The 𝐴 is a compact subset of (𝑋, 𝜏) but 𝐴 is not closed in
(𝑋, 𝜏).
Theorem 4: Finite union of compact subsets of a topological space is compact.
Proof: Let (𝑋, 𝜏) be a topological space and 𝑌1 , 𝑌2 , … , 𝑌𝑚 be finitely many
𝑚
compact subsets 𝑋. Let 𝑌 = ⋃ 𝑌𝑖 and 𝒢 be a cover of 𝑌 by sets which are open
𝑖=1

in (𝑋, 𝜏). Then 𝒢 is a cover of 𝑌𝑖 for each 𝑖 = 1,2, … , 𝑚 by sets which are open in
(𝑋, 𝜏). Now for each 𝑖(1 ≤ 𝑖 ≤ 𝑚), since 𝑌𝑖 is compact, so there exists a finite
subcover 𝒢𝑖 of 𝒢 for 𝑌𝑖 . Then 𝒢1 ∪ 𝒢2 ∪ … ∪ 𝒢𝑚 is a finite sub-collection of 𝒢
covering 𝑌. Hence ( 𝑌, 𝜏𝑌 ) is compact i.e. 𝑌 is compact.

Remark 2: (i) The above result is not true for arbitrary union. ( Find Example)
(ii) The above result is not true for finite intersection. (Find Example)
Exercise 2: Give an example to show that arbitrary union of compact sets in a
topological space may not be compact.
Solution: Let us consider the topological space (ℝ, 𝜏𝑢 ), where ℝ is the set of all
1 1
real numbers and 𝜏𝑢 is the usual topology on ℝ. Let 𝐼𝑛 = [2 + , 5 − ],𝑛 ∈
𝑛 𝑛

ℕ. The {𝐼𝑛 }𝑛∈ℕ is a sequence of compact sets in (ℝ, 𝜏𝑢 ) but ⋃∞

𝑛=1 𝐼𝑛 = ( 2, 5 )

is not compact in (ℝ, 𝜏𝑢 ).

Exercise 3: Give an example to show that intersection of two compact sets in a
topological space may not be compact.
Solution: Let 𝑋 = ℕ and 𝔅 be the collection of those subsets 𝐴 of 𝑋 such that
either 1,2 ∉ 𝐴 or 𝑋 − 𝐴 is finite (in case 𝐴 contains either or both of 1 and 2).
6
Then 𝔅 forms a base for some topology 𝜏 on 𝑋. Now we consider the subsets
𝐶 = ℕ − {2} and 𝐷 = ℕ − {1} of ℕ. The 𝐶, 𝐷 are compact subsets of (𝑋, 𝜏)
but 𝐶⋂𝐷 = ℕ − {1,2} is not compact in (𝑋, 𝜏), because { {𝑥} ∶ 𝑥 ∈ 𝐶⋂𝐷} is a
cover of 𝐶⋂𝐷 by sets which are open in (𝑋, 𝜏) but { {𝑥} ∶ 𝑥 ∈ 𝐶⋂𝐷} has no
finite subcover for 𝐶⋂𝐷.

Theorem 5: Let (𝑋, 𝜏) be a topological space and 𝔅 be a base for 𝜏. Then 𝑋 is

compact if and only if every cover of 𝑋 by members of 𝔅 has a finite subcover.
Proof: Let 𝑋 be compact. Then the condition obviously holds.
Let the condition hold. Let 𝒢 = {𝐺𝛼 : 𝛼 ∈ Λ}, Λ being index set, be an open
cover of 𝑋. Then for each 𝑥 ∈ 𝑋, there exists 𝐺𝑥 ∈ 𝒢 such that 𝑥 ∈ 𝐺𝑥 . Since 𝔅
is a base for 𝜏 , so there exists 𝐵𝑥 ∈ 𝔅 such that 𝑥 ∈ 𝐵𝑥 ⊂ 𝐺𝑥 . The { 𝐵𝑥 : 𝑥 ∈ 𝑋}
is a cover of 𝑋 by members of 𝔅. Then by hypothesis { 𝐵𝑥 : 𝑥 ∈ 𝑋} has a finite
subcover, { 𝐵𝑥1, 𝐵𝑥2, … 𝐵𝑥𝑛, } (say). Then { 𝐺𝑥1, 𝐺𝑥2, … 𝐺𝑥𝑛, } is a finite subcover of
𝒢. Hence 𝑋 is compact