Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-topology-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2017/1/b/solution
Past exam of the topology course of the University of Oxford 2017 1 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
For every , the Hausdorff condition gives disjoint open neighbourhoods of and of . The form an open cover of , so choose a finite subcover . PutThen are open sets, and . If a point belonged to , it would belong to some and to , contrary to their choice. ThusThe finiteness matters: a finite intersection of open sets is open. This is separation of a point and a compact set. If , use , .
Every consequently has an open neighbourhood contained in . The complement is open, so a compact subset of a Hausdorff space is closed.
The conclusion can fail without the Hausdorff condition. Take the two-point set with the indiscrete topology . The singleton is compact, since one member of any open cover suffices. It is not closed, because its complement is not open. The two points cannot have disjoint open neighbourhoods, so this example is indeed not Hausdorff.
New to topics? Read the docs here!