Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2004/ib/paper-2/4e/i/solution

Any two nonempty open sets in the cofinite topology on intersect: their complements have finite union, which cannot exhaust . Thus this is a hyperconnected space. Suppose a continuous map took two distinct values and . The usual real line is a Hausdorff space, so there are disjoint open intervals and containing and . Their inverse images under the continuous map are disjoint, nonempty open sets, contradicting hyperconnectedness. Every such is constant.

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