MAT 411: Topology:

Neighbourhoods

Imaga Ogbu Famous

Department of Mathematics
Covenant University

Imaga O. F. (Dept. of Mathematics) Topology Topological Spaces 1 / 14

Objectives

After studying this module, the student will be able to

1 Describe the neighbourhood of a point and solve related problems
2 Identify Interior and Exterior of a set
3 Explain dense sets and boundary of a set

Imaga O. F. (Dept. of Mathematics) Topology Topological Spaces 2 / 14

Neighbourhoods and Neighbourhoods Systems I

Neighbourhood
Let (X, Y) be a topological space, B ⊂ X and x ∈ X. Then B is called
a neighbourhood of x if there exists D ∈ Y such that x ∈ D ⊂ B.

Neighbourhood is abbreviated nbh

Neighbourhood System
A collection of all the neighbourhoods of a point x ∈ X is called the
neighbourhood system of x and is denoted by N (x)

Example: Let X = {a, b, c, d} and Y = {X, ∅, {b}, {a, b}, {a, b, d}}. Find
i) N (a) ii) N (b) iii) N (c).

Imaga O. F. (Dept. of Mathematics) Topology Topological Spaces 3 / 14

Neighbourhoods and Neighbourhoods Systems II

i) Y-open sets containing a are X, {a, b}, {a, b, d}

Supersets of X is X
Supersets of {a, b} are {a, b}, {a, b, c}, {a, b, d}, X
Supersets of {a, b, d} are {a, b, d}, X.
Neighbourhoods of a are {a, b}, {a, b, c}, {a, b, d}, X
ii) Y-open sets containing b are X, {b}, {a, b}, {a, b, d}
Supersets of {a, b} are {a, b}, {a, b, c}, {a, b, d}, X
Supersets of {a, b, d} are {a, b, d}, X.
Supersets of {b} are {b}, {a, b}, {b, c}, {b, d}, {a, b, c}, {a, b, d},
{b, c, d}, X.
iii) T-open set containing c is X. Hence, the neighbourhood of c is X.

Imaga O. F. (Dept. of Mathematics) Topology Topological Spaces 4 / 14

Neighbourhoods and Neighbourhoods Systems III

Some theorems on Neighbourhoods

Theorem 1: Let (X, Y) be a topological space and B ⊂ X. Then B is
Y-open if and only if B contains Y-nhds of each of the points.
Proof: Let (X, Y) be a topological space and B ⊂ Y.
Step I: Suppose B is an open set. We show that B contains Y-nhd of each
of its members. Clearly x ∈ B ⊂ B ∀x ∈ B, since B is an open set.
Step II: Let B be contain Y-nhd of each of its members, then for each
x ∈ B there exists a nhd Nx ⊂ X such that

x ∈ Nx ⊂ B. (1)

Imaga O. F. (Dept. of Mathematics) Topology Topological Spaces 5 / 14

Neighbourhoods and Neighbourhoods Systems IV

We are to show that B is an open set. By the definition of a nhd, there

exists an open set Gx such that

x ∈ G x ⊂ Nx . (2)

From (1) and (2) we have

x ∈ Gx ⊂ Nx ⊂ B ⇒ x ∈ Gx ⊂ B..

∴ ∀ x ∈ B, we have ∪
Gx ⊂ B (3)
x∈B
∪
Set G = x∈B Gx . Since arbitrary union of open sets is open, then G is an
open set and G ⊂ B. Similarly, for any x ∈ B, then x ∈ Gx ⊂ G. This
implies that x ∈ G, hence B ⊂ G.

Imaga O. F. (Dept. of Mathematics) Topology Topological Spaces 6 / 14

Neighbourhoods and Neighbourhoods Systems V

Since G ⊂ B and B ⊂ G, then B = G meaning that B is an open set.

Theorem 2: Let (X, Y) be a topological space. The intersection of two
neighbourhoods of x ∈ X is also a neighbourhood of x.

Imaga O. F. (Dept. of Mathematics) Topology Topological Spaces 7 / 14

Interior and Exterior Point of a Set I

Interior Point
Let (X, Y) be a topological space and B be a subset of X, then a
point b ∈ B is called an interior point of set B, if there exists an
open set D such that b ∈ D ⊆ B.

Interior of a Set
Let (X, Y) be a topological space and B be a subset of X, then the
Int (B) or Bo is the union of all open sets
interior of B denoted by ∪
o
contained in B i.e. B = {D ∈ Y : D ⊂ B}.

Imaga O. F. (Dept. of Mathematics) Topology Topological Spaces 8 / 14

Interior and Exterior Point of a Set II

Example: Let X = {a, b, c} and Y = {∅, X, {b}, {b, c}, {a, b}, {a, b, c}} be
a topology on X. Find B0 if i) B = {b} ii) B = {a, b}
Solution:
i) Bo = ∅ ∪ {b} = {b}
ii) Bo = ∅ ∪ {b} ∪ {a, b} = {a, b}
Example: Let X = {a, b, c, d, e} and
Y = {∅, X, {b}, {a, d}, {a, b, d}, {a, c, d, e}} be a topology on X. If
B = {a, b, c} then, Ao = {b}.

Imaga O. F. (Dept. of Mathematics) Topology Topological Spaces 9 / 14

Interior and Exterior Point of a Set III

Exterior Point
Let (X, Y) be a topological space and B be a subset of X, then a
point b ∈ B is called an exterior point of set B, if and only if it is
the interior point of the complement of B.

Exterior of a Set
Let (X, Y) be a topological space and B be a subset of X, then the
exterior of B denoted by ext (B) is the set of all the exterior points
of B. Symbolically, ext B = (X − B)o = (Bc )o

Example: Let Y = {X, ∅, {p}, {p, q}, {p, q, t}, {p, q, r, s}, {p, r, s}} and
X = {p, q, r, s, t}. Determine the exterior of the set B = {p}
Solution:

Imaga O. F. (Dept. of Mathematics) Topology Topological Spaces 10 / 14

Interior and Exterior Point of a Set IV

ext (B) = (X − B)o = {q, r, s, t}o

= {p, q} ∪ {p, q, t}, {p, q, r, s} = {p, q, r, s, t} = X.
Theorem: Let (X, Y) be a topological space and let A ⊆ X. Then A is an
open set iff Ao = A..
Properties of Interior
Let (X, T) be a topological space and A B ⊂ X.

(i) ∅o = ∅
(ii) Xo = X
(iii) A ⊂ B ⇒ Ao ⊂ Bo
(iv) (Ao )o = A

Imaga O. F. (Dept. of Mathematics) Topology Topological Spaces 11 / 14

Interior and Exterior Point of a Set V

Properties of Exterior
(i) ext (X) = ∅
(ii) ext (∅) = X
(iii) ext (A) ⊂ Ac
(iv) ext [(ext (A))c ]
(v) A ⊂ B ⇒ ext (B) ⊂ ext (A)
(vi) Ao ⊂ ext [ext (A)]
(vii) ext (A ∪ B) = ext (A) ∩ ext (B).

Imaga O. F. (Dept. of Mathematics) Topology Topological Spaces 12 / 14

Dense Set and Boundary Set I

Dense Set and No where Dense. Let (X, Y) be a topological space. A

set B ⊂ X is said to be dense or everywhere dense in X if B = X.
Example: The set of rational numbers Q ⊆ R, then the only closed set
containing Q is R is R i.e. Q = R. Hence, Q is dense in R.
Example: Let Y = {∅, X, {1}, {1, 2}, {1, 3, 4}, {1, 2, 5}, {1, 2, 3, 4}} be a
topology on X = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}. Determine which of the following set is
dense on X i) {1} ii) {2} iii) {3, 5}
Solution: ∩
i) {1} = {B : B is a closed subset s.t. B ⊃ {1}} = X
ii) {2} = X ∩ {2, 3, 4, 5} ∩ {2, 5} = {2, 5}
iii) {3, 5} = X ∩ {2, 3, 4, 5} ∩ {3, 4, 5} = {3, 4, 5}

Imaga O. F. (Dept. of Mathematics) Topology Topological Spaces 13 / 14

Dense Set and Boundary Set II

A set B is said to be nowhere dense in X if int (B) = ∅, i.e. if the interior

of the closure of B is an empty set.
Boundary Set: The boundary set of B is the set of all the points which
belong to neither to the interior point of B nor to the interior point of its
complement. It is denoted by b(B). Symbolically,

b(B) = X − Bo ∪ (X − B)o

Example: Let X = {p, q, r.s, t} and

Y = {∅, X, {p}, {p, q}, {p, q, t}, {p, q, r, s}, {p, r, s}} be a topology on X.
Find the boundary of the set B = {q}.
Solution: Bo = ∪{∅} = ∅
(X − B)o = {p, r, s, t}0 = ∪{{p}, {p, r, s}} = {p, r, s}
b(B) = X − Bo ∪ (X − B)o = X − ∅ ∪ {p, r, s} = {q, t}.

Imaga O. F. (Dept. of Mathematics) Topology Topological Spaces 14 / 14