MATH 420 “Point Set Topology”

Set #5
SOLUTIONS

Section 20:

1: (a)It is pretty clear that d′ (X, Y ) = d′ (Y, X) and that d′ (X, Y ) ≥ 0

and equals zero only if X = Y . So we will concentrate on showing the
triangle inequality. Let X = (X(1), .., X(N )), Y = (Y (1), ..., Y (N )), and
Z = (Z(1), ..., Z(N )). Then since d(a, b) = |a − b| is a metric on R, we
have for each 1 ≤ k ≤ N , |X(k) − Y (k)| ≤ |X(k) − Z(k)| + |Z(k) − Y (k)|.
Adding these inequalities for k = 1, 2..., N gives us the desired inequality:
d′ (X, Y ) ≤ d′ (X, Z) + d′ (Z, Y ).

In R2 , the basis elements look like ”diamonds”. For example, Bd′ (origin, 1)
is equal to {(x, y)|d1 ((x, y), (0, 0)) < 1} = {(x, y)||x| + |y| < 1}. This has
boundary the set of (x, y) with |x| + |y| = 1 or y = ±(1 ± x).

If ρ is the square metric, ρ(X, Y ) = max(|X(k) − Y (k)|) then we have:

ρ(X, Y ) ≤ d′ (X, Y ) ≤ nρ(X, Y ).

The first inequality gives:

Bd′ (X, ε) = {Y |d1 (X, Y ) < ε} ⊂ {Y |ρ(X, Y ) < ε} = Bρ (X, ε).

The second inequality gives:

Bρ (X, ε) = {Y |p(X, Y ) < ε} ⊂ {Y |d′ (X, Y ) < nε} = Bd′ (X, nε).

This shows that it is always possible to fit one sort of metric ball into the
other sort about any point X so by Lemma 13.3, d′ defines the same topology
on Rn as ρ did, which is the standard product topology by Thm 20.3.

2: (R × R, dictionary) = Rdiscrete × R by Ex 9 page 92. By Ex 3 page 133

of this HW set, a metric that gives this topology can be obtained from the
metrics giving the topology for the factors. Note “D(a, b) = 1 if a is not
equal to b, 0 if a equals b” gives the discrete topology on R. Thus, we set
p((x, y), (x′ , y ′ )) = max(D(x, x′ ), |y − y ′ |), this will give us a metric on R × R
which gives the dictionary topology as its metric topology, by Ex 3, page 133.
Thus, the dictionary topology of the plane is metrizable.

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Section 21:

3: (a) We verify ρ is a metric: Consider X = (x1 , ..., xn ), Y = (y1 , .., yn ),

and Z = (z1 , ..., zn ). di are metrics so di (xi , yi ) = di (yi , xi ), and so this
gives ρ(X, Y ) = ρ(Y, X). di (xi , yi ) ≥ 0 give ρ(X, Y ) ≥ 0. On the other hand,
ρ(X, Y ) = 0 if and only if di (xi , yi ) = 0 for 1 ≤ i ≤ n. This happens if and only
if xi = yi for 1 ≤ i ≤ n (since di were metrics). Thus, ρ(X, Y ) = 0 if and only
if X = Y . Since the di were metrics we have: di (xi , yi ) ≤ di (xi , zi ) + di (zi , yi )
for 1 ≤ i ≤ n. Clearly, we can replace the RHS with the maximums and not
effect the inequality and so we get: di (xi , yi ) ≤ ρ(X, Z)+ρ(Z, Y ) for 1 ≤ i ≤ n.
Now, ρ(X, Y ) = dk (xk , yk ) for some k ∈ {1, 2, .., n}. Thus, from the previous
inequality, we get: ρ(X, Y ) ≤ ρ(X, Z) + ρ(Z, Y ) which is the triangle inequal-
ity. Thus, ρ is a metric on the product space.

Now we show that the ρ-topology is the product topology.

Bρ (X, ε) = {Y |ρ(Y, X) < ε} = {(y1 , ..., yn )| max(di (xi , yi )) < ε}

= {(y1 , ..., yn )| di (xi , yi ) < ε for all 1 ≤ i ≤ n.}
= Bd1 (x1 , ε) × Bd2 (x2 , ε) × .... × Bdn (xn , ε).

Thus, the ρ-topology basis is the product topology basis, and so the ρ-
topology is the product topology.

10: Define f : R2 → R by f (x, y) = xy and g : R2 → R by g(x, y) = x2 + y 2 .

From calculus, we know f and g are continuous. A = f −1 ({1}), so since {1}
is closed in R, A is closed in R2 . S 1 = g −1 ({1}), so since {1} is closed in R,
S 1 is closed in R2 . B 2 = g −1 ([0, 1]), so since [0, 1] is closed in R, B 2 is closed
in R2 .

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Section 23:

4: Suppose X = U ∪ V is a separation. Then U, V are nonempty open sets in

the finite complement topology and so U = X −F and V = X −F ′ where F, F ′
are finite subsets of X. However, if U, V is a separation, we also need that U ∩V
is empty. This is impossible since U ∩ V = (X − F ) ∩ (X − F ′ ) = X − (F ∪ F ′ )
[by De Morgan’s law], and X − (F ∪ F ′ ) cannot be empty since F ∪ F ′ is finite
while X is infinite. Thus, we arrive at a contradiction, and so there can be no
separation U, V . Hence, X is connected.

6: Suppose A is a subset of X, and C is a connected subspace of X. We

are given that C intersects both A and X − A. SUPPOSE that C does
not intersect the boundary of A. Now in general we have a disjoint union
X = Int(A) ∪ Bd(A) ∪ Ext(A). So, if C does not intersect Bd(A), then we
have C = (C ∩ Int(A)) ∪ (C ∪ Ext(A)). Since Int(A), Ext(A) are in general
open in X, we have C ∩ Int(A) and C ∩ Ext(A) are open in C. Now we are
given that there is x ∈ C ∩ A. Since this x cannot be in Ext(A), we have
x ∈ C ∩ Int(A). Also we are given y ∈ C ∩ (X − A). Since this y cannot
be in Int(A), we have y ∈ C ∩ Ext(A). Thus, C ∩ Int(A), C ∩ Ext(A) is a
separation for C contradicting the assumption that C is connected. Thus, we
see that C must intersect Bd(A).