Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford / 2023 / Prelims / Mathematics II / 4 / a

A limit point $p$ of $E\subseteq \mathbb{R}$ is a point such that, for every $\epsilon >0$, the punctured neighbourhood $(p-\epsilon ,p+\epsilon )\setminus \{p\}$ meets $E$. A closed set contains all of its limit points.

Every nonempty open interval contains a rational number; applying this to $(p,p+\epsilon )$ shows that every $p\in \mathbb{R}$ is a limit point of $\mathbb{Q}$. Thus the limit points of $\mathbb{Q}$ form $\mathbb{R}$, and $\mathbb{Q}$ is not closed.

If $p\in \mathbb{Z}$, radius $1/2$ excludes all other integers. If $p\notin \mathbb{Z}$, its distances to the two neighbouring integers have a positive minimum, and a smaller radius excludes every integer. Thus $\mathbb{Z}$ has no limit points in $\mathbb{R}$ and is closed.

Suppose $E$ is a closed set and $p\notin E$. Then $p$ is not a limit point of $E$, so some punctured neighbourhood of $p$ misses $E$. As $p\notin E$, the entire neighbourhood misses $E$. Thus $\mathbb{R}\setminus E$ is an open set.

Conversely, suppose every point $p\notin E$ has a neighbourhood disjoint from $E$. No such point can be a limit point of $E$, so every limit point lies in $E$. This proves the equivalence between containing all limit points and having an complement that is an open set.

A point is in the closure $\overline{E}$ exactly when every neighbourhood meets $E$. This is equivalent to belonging to $E$ or being a limit point of $E$.

If $p\notin \overline{E}$, choose $\epsilon >0$ with $(p-\epsilon ,p+\epsilon )\cap E=\varnothing$. Every $q$ with $|q-p|<\epsilon /2$ has a smaller neighbourhood contained in this interval and disjoint from $E$. Thus $(p-\epsilon /2,p+\epsilon /2)$ misses $\overline{E}$, and the complement of $\overline{E}$ is open. Hence $\overline{E}$ is closed.

Every closed set $F$ containing $E$ contains all limit points of $E$: a limit point outside $F$ would have a neighbourhood missing $F$, and hence missing $E$. Therefore $\overline{E}\subseteq F$. Since $\overline{E}$ is itself one of these closed sets,