Basic Analysis – Gently Done Topological Vector Spaces
Basic Analysis – Gently Done Topological Vector Spaces
Basic Analysis – Gently Done Topological Vector Spaces
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22 <strong>Basic</strong> <strong>Analysis</strong><br />
family {U x : x ∈ X} is an open cover of X and so there exists x 1 ,...,x n ∈ X such<br />
that �n i=1Uxi = X. Since I is directed there is α � αi for each i = 1,...,n. But<br />
then xα /∈ Uxi for all i = 1,...,n, which is impossible since the U ’s cover X. We<br />
xi<br />
conclude that (x α ) I has a cluster point, or, equivalently, a convergent subnet.<br />
Definition 2.23 A universal net in a topological space (X,T) is a net with the<br />
property that, for any subset A of X, it is either eventually in A or eventually in<br />
X \A, the complement of A.<br />
The concept of a universal net leads to substantial simplification of the proofs<br />
of various results, as we will see.<br />
Proposition 2.24 If a universal net has a cluster point, then it converges (to<br />
the cluster point). In particular, a universal net in a Hausdorff space can have at<br />
most one cluster point.<br />
Proof Suppose that x is a cluster point of the universal net (x α ) I . Then for each<br />
neighbourhood N of x, (x α ) is frequently in N. However, (x α ) is either eventually<br />
in N or eventually in X \ N. Evidently, the former must be the case and we<br />
conclude that (x α ) converges to x. The last part follows because in a Hausdorff<br />
space a net can converge to at most one point.<br />
At this point, it is not at all clear that universal nets exist!<br />
Examples 2.25<br />
1. It is clear that any eventually constant net is a universal net. In particular,<br />
any net with finite index set is a universal net. Indeed, if (x α ) I is a net in X with<br />
finite index set I, then I has a maximum element, α ′ , say. The net is therefore<br />
eventually equal to x α ′. For any subset A ⊆ X, we have that (x α ) I is eventually<br />
in A or eventually in X \A depending on whether x α ′ belongs to A or not.<br />
2. No sequence can be a universal net, unless it is eventually constant. To see<br />
this, suppose that (x n ) n∈N is a sequence which is not eventually constant. Then<br />
the set S = {x n : n ∈ N} is an infinite set. Let A be any infinite subset of S<br />
such that S \A also infinite. Then (x n ) cannot be eventually in either of A or its<br />
complement. That is, the sequence (x n ) N cannot be universal.<br />
Weshallshowthateverynethasauniversalsubnet. Firstweneedthefollowing<br />
lemma.<br />
Department of Mathematics King’s College, London