FOUNDATIONS OF ANALYSIS

NICK HYMAN - HYMANN@RPI.EDU

HomeWork 24
26 April 2011
Problem:

A. Prove that a single point in a metric space is a closed set.

B. Can a single point of a metric space be an open set? Explain.

C. Provide an example of a Cauchy sequence, in a metric space, that

is not convergent.

D. Prove that a finite union of closed sets in a metric space is closed.

E. Show by example that the union of closed sets, in a metric space,

need not be closed.

Proof:

A. Let the point x ∈ the metric space (M, d). There exists a point
x0 ∈ {x}c . Let r = d(x, x0 ) then x ∈ / B(x0 , r). Thus, B(x0 , r) ⊆ {x}c
and therefore from this it is noted that {x}c is open and therefore {x} is
closed. This completes part A.

B. Now, let the point x ∈ the metric space (M, d). Then, there ex-
ists a point x0 ∈ {x}c . Since M is finite, d(x, x0 ) > 0. Now, let r =
minx0 ∈M {d(x, x0 )}. Thus, B(x, r) = {x} and therefore it must be an open
set. This completes part B.
[
C. Let S = Uα . Let there be an x ∈ S. Then there exists Uk such
α [
that x ∈ Uk and Uk ⊆ Uα . And there also exists a rk > 0 such that
α [
B(x, rk ) ⊆ Uk . Thus x ∈ B(x, rk ) ⊆ Uk ⊆ Uα = S. This completes part
α
C.

1
2 NICK HYMAN - HYMANN@RPI.EDU

k
\
D. For this part, it suffices to show that Cn is closed. By DeMorgan’s
n=1
k
\ k
[ c
Law, it is possible to write Cnc as Cn . We will use the second of
n=1 n=1
these to show that it is open and thus showing that the union is closed. Let
\k
x∈ Cnc and for all n ∈ Zk , there exists an rk > 0 such that B(x, rk ) ⊆ Ckc .
n=1
k
\ k
\
Now let r = mink {rk } which implies B(x, r) ⊆ Cnk . Therefore, Cnk
n=1 n=1
k
[
is open which means that its compliment, Ck , is closed. This completes
n=1
part D.
[
E. The set {x} = (1, 2) is an example of a union of closed sets
x∈(1,2)
in a metric space that is not necessarily a closed set. Part A showed that
the left side of the equation is closed, but the right hand side is not closed.
This completes part E.

With the completion of parts A, B, C, D, and E, the proof is completed.