Past exam of the topology course of the University of Oxford / 2017 / 1

A subset $K$ is compact if every open cover has a finite subcover. Explicitly, if $U_i$ are open sets of $X$ and $K\subseteq {\bigcup }_{i\in I}{U}_i$, there are finitely many indices $i_1,\dots ,i_m$ such thatEquivalently, the subspace topology makes $K$ a compact space. An open set in this subspace topology is $K\cap U$ for an ambient open set $U$, which proves equivalence of the two open cover formulations. The empty set is compact: the empty selection is a finite subcover.

Assume $K$ is compact, and let the closed subsets $F_i$ of $K$ have the finite intersection property. If their total intersection were empty, their complements $K\setminus F_i$ would form an open cover of $K$. A finite subcover would givecontradicting the finite intersection property. Therefore the total intersection is nonempty.

Conversely, assume the stated nonempty-intersection property for every family of closed subsets of $K$. Given an open cover $\{V_i:i\in I\}$ of $K$ in its subspace topology, set $F_i=K\setminus V_i$. Their total intersection is empty. By the contrapositive of the assumed property, this family fails the finite intersection property; hence some finite $J\subseteq I$ satisfiesThis is a finite subcover, proving compactness. Both directions are instances of De Morgan's laws. Thus compactness is equivalent to the finite intersection characterization of compactness.

For completeness, the intersection of the empty family of subsets of $K$ is $K$. If $K$ is empty, no family has the finite intersection property when the empty finite subfamily is included, so the implication remains valid.

Let $F$ be a closed subset of the compact space $X$. Express an arbitrary open cover of $F$ in its subspace topology as $\{F\cap U_i:i\in I\}$, where the $U_i$ are open sets of $X$. Since $X\setminus F$ is open, the familyis an open cover of $X$. Take a finite subcover and discard $X\setminus F$ if it occurs. The remaining finitely many $U_i$ still cover $F$, since the discarded set contains no point of $F$. Their traces on $F$ give the required finite subcover. Hence every closed subset of a compact space is compact, with no Hausdorff assumption.

For every $k\in K$, the Hausdorff condition gives disjoint open neighbourhoods $U_k$ of $k$ and $V_k$ of $x$. The $U_k$ form an open cover of $K$, so choose a finite subcover $U_{k_1},\dots ,U_{k_m}$. PutThen $U,V$ are open sets, $K\subseteq U$ and $x\in V$. If a point belonged to $U\cap V$, it would belong to some $U_{k_j}$ and to $V_{k_j}$, 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 $K=\varnothing$, use $U=\varnothing$, $V=X$.

Every $x\in X\setminus K$ consequently has an open neighbourhood $V$ contained in $X\setminus K$. 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 $X=\{0,1\}$ with the indiscrete topology $\{\varnothing ,X\}$. The singleton $K=\{0\}$ is compact, since one member of any open cover suffices. It is not closed, because its complement $\{1\}$ is not open. The two points cannot have disjoint open neighbourhoods, so this example is indeed not Hausdorff.

A subset $A$ is connected when it is a connected space in its subspace topology: there is no separation of a topological spaceinto two nonempty disjoint open subsets of $A$. Equivalently, the only clopen sets of $A$ are $\varnothing$ and $A$.

Since the given $A$ is not connected, choose such $P,Q$. Each is the complement of the other in $A$, so both are also closed subsets of $A$. They are compact by the closed subset of a compact space result. We now separate these two compact subsets by ambient open sets.

For each $p\in P$, part (b), applied to $Q$ and $p$, gives disjoint ambient open sets $G_p,H_p$ with $p\in G_p$ and $Q\subseteq H_p$. Choose $p_1,\dots ,p_m$ such that the $G_{p_j}$ cover $P$, using its compactness. DefineThen $P\subseteq U$, $Q\subseteq V$, and $U,V$ are disjoint open sets. Indeed a point of $U$ lies in some $G_{p_j}$, whereas every point of $V$ lies in the corresponding $H_{p_j}$. ConsequentlyThis proves the requested ambient separation, using the more general separation of disjoint compact subsets. The initially given relatively open sets $P,Q$ need not themselves be open in $X$; the finite construction supplies ambient open neighbourhoods.

Write $K={\bigcap }_{i\in I}{K}_i$. Each $K_i$ is closed in $X$, by the compact subset of a Hausdorff space theorem. Therefore $K$ is closed, and is compact because $X$ is compact. The nonempty finite intersections give the finite intersection property, so part (a)(ii) also yields $K\ne \varnothing$.

Suppose $K$ were not connected. Part (c) would give disjoint open sets $U,V$ containing $K$ in their union and each meeting $K$. LetThis is a closed subset of the compact space $X$, and $C\cap {\bigcap }_{i\in I}{K}_i=\varnothing$. Apply the contrapositive of the finite intersection characterization of compactness to the family of closed sets $\{C\}\cup \{K_i:i\in I\}$. Some finite subfamily has empty intersection. Since every finite intersection of just the $K_i$ is nonempty, that subfamily must include $C$. Thus for some finite $J\subseteq I$,But $K\subseteq K_J$ and $K$ meets both $U$ and $V$. Therefore $K_J\cap U$ and $K_J\cap V$ are nonempty disjoint relatively open sets covering $K_J$, contradicting its assumed connectedness. This provesThis is connectedness of an intersection from connected finite intersections. If $I=\varnothing$, its intersection is $X$; the stated hypothesis for the finite set $J=\varnothing$ already makes $X$ nonempty and connected, so that case is included.