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Let $K\subseteq X$, where the ambient topological space $X$ is Hausdorff and $K$ is compact in its subspace topology. Then $K$ is a closed set in $X$: the complement $X\setminus K$ is an open set in $X$. The ambient space need not be compact. For example, $[0,1]$ is a compact closed interval in the non-compact Hausdorff real line.^[ref]

The ambient Hausdorff hypothesis matters even when $K$ itself is Hausdorff. In the Sierpiński space $S=\{0,1\}$, the open sets are $\varnothing ,\{1\},S$, so the closed sets are $\varnothing ,\{0\},S$. Thus $K=\{1\}$ is compact and Hausdorff in its one-point subspace topology, but is not closed in $S$: its complement $\{0\}$ is not an open set. Every open neighborhood of $0$ contains $1$, so separation from $K$ fails. In contrast, the discrete topology on the same underlying set is Hausdorff and makes both singletons closed.

The diagram lists every open set and closed set, so the distinction can be checked directly. All subsets in both panels are compact: for any open cover of a finite set, choose one covering open set per point, obtaining a finite subcover. Compactness alone therefore cannot distinguish the two panels.

Here is the finite-selection mechanism in the general proof. For $x\in X\setminus K$ and each $k\in K$, the Hausdorff property gives disjoint open neighborhoods $U_k$ of $k$ and $V_k$ of $x$. The $U_k$ give an ambient open cover of $K$. Select a finite subcover $U_{k_1},\dots ,U_{k_m}$ and setThen $K\subseteq U$, $x\in V$, and $U\cap V=\varnothing$. The finite intersection makes $V$ an open set; an infinite intersection would not guarantee this. Thus every point of $X\setminus K$ has an open neighborhood contained in that complement, proving that $K$ is closed. The empty set is already closed.

This theorem combines with the continuous image of a compact space theorem to make every continuous map from a compact space to a Hausdorff space a closed map: a closed subset of its domain is compact, and its image is compact and hence closed in the target. This is the reason the inverse in the compact-to-Hausdorff continuous bijection theorem is continuous. The converse implication, from closed to compact, needs additional hypotheses: the real line is closed in itself but not compact; in a compact space, every closed subset is compact.

Let $X,Y$ be topological spaces, let $X$ be compact, and let $f:X\to Y$ be a continuous map. Then its image $f(X)$ is compact with the subspace topology inherited from $Y$. More generally, a continuous map sends every compact subset $K\subseteq X$ to a compact subset $f(K)\subseteq Y$, by applying the same statement to its restriction to $K$. Neither $X$ nor $Y$ needs to be Hausdorff.^[ref]

For example, the polynomial function $f(x)=x^2$ sends the compact closed interval $[0,1]$ onto $[0,1]$. The open intervals $V_1=(-1/10,16/25)$ and $V_2=(9/25,11/10)$ give an open cover of the image. Their inverse images in the domain areBoth are open sets in the subspace topology of $[0,1]$, even though neither is an open set in the ambient real line. They cover the domain, so the corresponding two target open sets cover the image.

Matching colors identify the target open sets and their inverse images. Filled endpoints are included and hollow endpoints excluded. This particular open cover illustrates the mechanism; compactness requires a finite subcover for every open cover.

For the general proof, write an arbitrary open cover of $f(X)$ as $\{f(X)\cap V_i:i\in I\}$ with each $V_i$ an open set in $Y$. By continuity, the inverse images $f^{-1}(V_i)$ form an open cover of $X$. Its compactness provides indices $i_1,\dots ,i_m$ such thatThis gives the required finite subcover of $f(X)$. The argument uses inverse images because continuous maps need not send open sets to open sets. For the empty set, the empty selection suffices.

The image of a compact Hausdorff space under a continuous map need not itself be Hausdorff. Take $D=\{0,1\}$ with the discrete topology and $S=\{0,1\}$ with the Sierpiński space topology $\{\varnothing ,\{1\},S\}$. The identity map $D\to S$ is a continuous bijection, since the inverse image of every target open set is an open set in $D$. Its image is compact, but the two points of $S$ have no disjoint open neighborhoods. If the target $Y$ is Hausdorff, its subspace topology does make $f(X)$ Hausdorff, and the compact subset of a Hausdorff space theorem also makes $f(X)$ closed in $Y$.

The practical payoff is existence: the extreme value theorem uses the compact image of a nonempty compact space under a real-valued continuous function to obtain an attained minimum and maximum. When $f$ is also a bijection onto a Hausdorff target, the compact-to-Hausdorff continuous bijection theorem supplies continuity of its inverse without a separate formula.

For a T0 space $X$, evaluation against all continuous maps $g:X\to S$ is a homeomorphism onto its image under the mapinto a power of the Sierpiński space. The $T_0$ axiom makes it injective, and the coordinate inverse images of $\{1\}$ recover every open subset of $X$.

A $T_0$ space $E$ is exponentiable in ${\mathbf{Top}}_0$ if and only if the functor ${\mathbf{Top}}_0(-\times E,S)$ to sets is representable, where $S$ is the Sierpiński space. Every $T_0$ space is an equalizer of maps between powers of $S$, so a representing object for maps into $S$ constructs exponentials for every target by products and equalizers.

Take $X=[0,1]$ with its usual topology and $Y$ the Sierpiński space with open singleton $\{1\}$. The map $f(0)=0$, $f(x)=1$ for $x>0$ is continuous, since $f^{-1}(\{1\})=(0,1]$ is relatively open in $X$. The sets $K_n=[0,1/n]$ are nonempty, nested and compact, butThe fiber of $1$ is not closed, which is exactly where the compact-intersection proof fails. This distinguishes the valid Hausdorff-codomain theorem from a false extension to arbitrary codomains.

A T0 space distinguishes any two distinct points by an open set containing one and not the other. A Tychonoff space, also called a completely regular Hausdorff space, is a $T_1$ space in which a point outside a closed set can be separated from it by a continuous function: after rescaling, $f(x)=0$ and $f{|}_C=1$ with values in $[0,1]$.

The product topology has the subbasis of a topologyA map into the product is continuous exactly when each coordinate map is continuous. One direction follows by composition with the continuous product projections; the other follows by taking inverse images of the displayed subbasic sets.

Define the diagonal evaluation map $\Delta (x)=(f_{\lambda }(x){)}_{\lambda \in \Lambda }$. Its coordinates are continuous, so the map is continuous by continuity into a product space. Point separation makes it injective. For a basic open set $B=f_{\lambda }^{-1}(U)$,Every open subset of $X$ is a union of such $B$, so its image is open in $\Delta (X)$. The inverse on the image is continuous, and $\boxed{\Delta \text{ is a topological embedding}}$. If $X$ is $T_0$, any two distinct points are distinguished by an open set and then by one basic neighborhood within it. Equality of all coordinates would prevent that distinction. Thus the basis hypothesis alone implies point separation in a $T_0$ space. The unsubscripted $f$ in the printed separation hypothesis is understood as the chosen coordinate $f_{\lambda }$.

For the Sierpiński space $S=\{0,1\}$ with opens $\varnothing ,\{1\},S$, each open $U\subseteq X$ gives a continuous characteristic map ${\chi }_U:X\to S$ with ${\chi }_U^{-1}(\{1\})=U$. These inverse images form the whole topology, hence a basis. In a $T_0$ space they separate points, proving the embedding into $S^{\tau }$.

For a Tychonoff space, use all continuous maps $X\to [0,1]$. Given $x\in U$ with $U$ open, complete regularity supplies $f(x)=0$ and $f=1$ on $X\setminus U$. Then $f^{-1}([0,1/2))$ is an open neighborhood of $x$ contained in $U$. These inverse images form a basis. The diagonal theorem gives an embedding into a product of closed unit intervals.

A three-point space works even without any separation axiom. TakeFor each open $U$ of an arbitrary space, let $g_U=2$ on $U$ and $0$ elsewhere. It is continuous. For each point $a$, let $h_a=1$ at $a$ and $0$ elsewhere. It is also continuous, because its image lies in the subspace $\{0,1\}$ of $Y$, which has the indiscrete topology; equivalently $h_a^{-1}(\{2\})=\varnothing$. The $g_U$ supply every open set as an inverse image, and the $h_a$ distinguish every pair of points. Using the diagonal evaluation map for their combined family gives a universal three-point space for product embeddings:

Finally embed the given completely regular Hausdorff space into a cube $K=[0,1{]}^I$. The Tychonoff theorem makes $K$ compact; it is Hausdorff and hence normal. The image of the compact subset $C$ is compact, so closed in $K$. The Tietze extension theorem says that a continuous bounded real-valued function on a closed subset of a normal space extends continuously to the whole space. The given function on $C$ is bounded by compactness, so apply this theorem to its transported function on the image of $C$ in $K$. Restrict the extension to the image of $X$ and pull it back along the embedding. This yields $\boxed{F:X\to \mathbb{R}\text{ continuous},F{|}_C=f}$. This proves that compact subsets of Tychonoff spaces are C-embedded, using normality of the compact cube.

An object $E$ in a finite-product category is exponentiable when $-\times E$ has a right adjoint $(-{)}^E$. The terminal object is exponentiable. If $E$ and $F$ are exponentiable, thenhas the composite of their right adjoints as a right adjoint. Hence the product of exponentiable objects is exponentiable, including the empty product.

Suppose $0$ is both initial and terminal. Since $-\times E$ is a left adjoint for exponentiable $E$, it preserves the initial object, so $0\times E\cong 0$. Since $0$ is terminal, $0\times E\cong E$. Therefore the zero object is the only exponentiable object in a pointed category.

Let $G=\mathbf{Top}(X,S)$ for a T0 space $X$ and the Sierpiński space $S$. The evaluation mapis injective because characteristic maps of open sets distinguish distinct points. Every open $U\subseteq X$ equals $g_U^{-1}(1)$ for its characteristic map $g_U:X\to S$, so the subspace topology induced by $e$ is the original topology. This is the Embedding of a T0 space into a power of the Sierpiński space.

A subspace inclusion between $T_0$ spaces is a regular monomorphism, hence an equalizer. Embedding its codomain into another power of $S$ and composing the parallel pair preserves the equalizer because the embedding is monic. Consequentlyis an equalizer for suitable sets $G,H$.

If $E$ is exponentiable, ${\mathbf{Top}}_0(-\times E,S)$ is represented by $S^E$. Conversely, suppose it is represented by $R$. Products giveExpress any $T_0$ space $X$ as the displayed equalizer $S^G\rightrightarrows S^H$ and take the corresponding equalizer $R^G\rightrightarrows R^H$. Since hom-functors preserve limits, this equalizer represents ${\mathbf{Top}}_0(-\times E,X)$. Thus $-\times E$ has a right adjoint on every target, proving the Exponentiability criterion in the category of T0 spaces.

The closure $\overline{Z}$ is the intersection of all closed subsets containing $Z$; equivalently, every neighbourhood of a point of $\overline{Z}$ meets $Z$. The subspace is dense when $\overline{Z}=X$. A space is Hausdorff when distinct points have disjoint neighbourhoods.

For Hausdorff $Y$, the diagonal ${\Delta }_Y$ is closed in $Y\times Y$. Thusis closed. Since it contains the dense set $Z$, it equals $X$.

The conclusion fails without Hausdorffness. Let $X=Y=\{0,1\}$ have the Sierpiński space topology $\{\varnothing ,\{1\},X\}$ and let $Z=\{1\}$, which is dense. The identity map and the constant map with value $1$ are continuous and agree on $Z$, but differ at $0$.

The claim is false for an arbitrary codomain $Y$. Let $X=[0,1]$ with its usual topology, let $Y$ be the Sierpiński space with open sets $\varnothing ,\{1\},Y$, and define $f(0)=0$, $f(x)=1$ for $x>0$. This is a continuous map: the only nontrivial open-set preimage is $f^{-1}(\{1\})=(0,1]$, which is relatively open in $X$.

The sets $K_n=[0,1/n]$ are nonempty, nested and compact. ButThus the extra generality in the printed codomain changes the assertion materially. This is the failure of nested compact image intersection without closed fibers.

If the codomain is a T1 space, the continuous images of nested compact intersections theorem does give the desired equality. The forward inclusion holds for every map. For the reverse, take $y\in {\bigcap }_{n}f(K_n)$ and set $F_n=K_n\cap f^{-1}(\{y\})$. The fibers are closed by continuity and the T1 property, so the $F_n$ are nested nonempty closed subsets of the compact set $K_1$. The finite intersection property gives $x\in {\bigcap }_n{F}_n$, with $f(x)=y$. It is enough that these particular fibers be closed in $K_1$; a Hausdorff codomain, as in the native self-map formulation, is a familiar sufficient assumption.

Use the Sierpiński space $X=\{0,1\}$ with topology $\{\varnothing ,\{1\},X\}$. The singleton $A=\{1\}$ is compact: from any open cover, choose one member containing $1$. But $X\setminus A=\{0\}$ is not open, so $A$ is not closed. This also exhibits why the Hausdorff hypothesis in the preceding proof matters.