Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2017 / ii / Paper 2 / 20F / c / Solution

Suppose $(x_k{)}_{k\ge 1}$ were a countable Hamel basis. Put $E_n=\mathrm{span}(x_1,\dots ,x_n)$. Each $E_n$ is a finite-dimensional, hence closed, linear subspace of $X$. It is proper because $X$ is infinite dimensional, and therefore a nowhere dense set. A Hamel basis means that every vector is a finite linear combination, so $X={\bigcup }_n{E}_n$. This contradicts the Baire category theorem for the Banach space $X$. Hence an infinite-dimensional Banach space has no countable Hamel basis. The same proof excludes any countable algebraic spanning set.