Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2025 / iii / Paper 106 / 4 / a

For a real locally convex space $(X,\mathcal{P})$, the continuous dual space $X^{\ast }$ consists of all continuous real-linear maps $X\to \mathbb{R}$. If $g\in Y^{\ast }$ on a subspace $Y$, continuity gives seminorms $p_1,\dots ,p_k\in \mathcal{P}$ and $C>0$ such thatThe right side is a continuous sublinear functional on $X$. The dominated Hahn-Banach theorem extends $g$ to a linear $f:X\to \mathbb{R}$ satisfying the same bound, so $f\in X^{\ast }$.

If $Y$ is closed and $x_0\notin Y$, the Hausdorff locally convex quotient $X/Y$ has a continuous seminorm $p$ with $p(x_0+Y)>0$. On $Y+\mathbb{R}{x}_0$, define $g(y+t{x}_0)=t$ and rescale $p$ so that $|g|\le p$. Hahn--Banach extends it to $f\in X^{\ast }$ with $f{|}_Y=0$ and $f(x_0)=1$.

The separation of a point and an open convex set says that if $C\subseteq X$ is nonempty, open, and convex and $x_0\notin C$, there is $f\in X^{\ast }$ such thatTo prove it, choose $a\in C$, put $U=C-a$, and let $p_U$ be its Minkowski functional. For $z=x_0-a\notin U$, $p_U(z)\ge 1$. Define $h(tz)=t{p}_U(z)$ on $\mathbb{R}z$; then $h\le p_U$. Hahn--Banach extends $h$ to $f\le p_U$. Since $p_U(u)<1$ for $u\in U$, one has $f(c-a)<1\le f(x_0-a)$, proving the claim.

If $K$ is closed and convex and $x_0\notin K$, a Hahn-Banach separation theorem gives $f\in X^{\ast }$ and a real number separating $x_0$ from $K$. The corresponding inverse image of an open interval is a weak neighbourhood of $x_0$ disjoint from $K$, so $K$ is closed in $\sigma (X,X^{\ast })$.

The unit sphere $S_X$ of a normed space is norm closed. If $X$ is infinite-dimensional, every basic weak neighbourhood of an interior point $x\in B_X$ constrains only finitely many functionals $f_1,\dots ,f_n$. Their common kernel contains a nonzero $y$. Continuity of $t\mapsto \Vert x+ty\Vert$, together with its value below one at $t=0$ and divergence as $|t|\to \infty$, supplies $t$ with $\Vert x+ty\Vert =1$. Since all $f_i$ have the same values at $x+ty$ and $x$, every weak neighbourhood of $x$ meets $S_X$. Points outside $B_X$ are separated from it by Hahn--Banach, so the weak closure of the unit sphere is exactly $B_X$. In particular, $S_X$ is not weakly closed.

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