Properties of Homeomorphisms between topological spaces

In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of homomorphism as a continuous 1-1 function between topological spaces. The question is posed whether there exists a 1-1 function between the collections of open sets defining the topologies of each topological space. The answer is no in general, but if the spaces are homeomorphic, then there is a 1-1 association between open sets given by the homeomorphism. There is also mention of a related question in point-free topology and the simplicity of proving the result in question.
  • #1
Goldbeetle
210
1
Dear all,
a homomorphism is a continuous 1-1 function between two topological spaces, that is invertible with continuous inverse. My question is as follows. Let's take the topologies of two topological spaces. Is there a 1-1 function between the two collections of open sets defining the topologies of each of the topological spaces?

Thanks,
Goldbeetle
 
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  • #2
Goldbeetle said:
Let's take the topologies of two topological spaces. Is there a 1-1 function between the two collections of open sets defining the topologies of each of the topological spaces?
In this generality, the answer is obviously NO. There are usually many, many topologies on a set. An extreme example: take X with the trivial topology and X with the discrete topology. These topologies have cardinality |X| and 2^X, respectively.

Or were you assuming that the two spaces were homeomorphic?
 
  • #3
Landau,
thanks. You're right. I forgot to add that that the two spaces are homomorphic. Does in this case the 1-1 association among open sets of the two topologies exists?
 
  • #4
Then, the answer is yes... the association being given by the homeomorphism. And it is because of this property of heomeomorphic space that people say that homeomorphic spaces are "essentially the same" topological spaces.
 
  • #5
If the spaces are homeomorphic, then the answer is yes. In fact, the function

[tex]\mathcal{T}\rightarrow \mathcal{T}^\prime:G\rightarrow f(G)[/tex]

is a bijection.

An interesting follow-up question is the following: given that there is an (order-preserving) bijection between two topologies, are the spaces homeomorphic?

The answer turns out to be positive under very weak assumptions. We just need the spaces to be sober (a condition much weaker then Hausdorff), and then an order-preserving bijection between the topologies induces a homeomorphism. This question and more is studied in what is called "point-free topology".
 
  • #6
Thanks. Where can I find a proof of the result of my question?
 
  • #7
I don't think you'll find a proof anywhere. It's very easy, so try proving yourself that

[tex]\mathcal{T}\rightarrow \mathcal{T}^\prime:G\rightarrow f(G)[/tex]

is a bijection with inverse

[tex]\mathcal{T}^\prime\rightarrow \mathcal{T}:G\rightarrow f^{-1}(G)[/tex].
 
  • #8
It is indeed trivial: (1) the fact that there's a 1-1 association between the power sets of the sets on which each topology is defined is derivable by the fact that there's a bijection between sets, (2) continuity guarantees that the associated sets are open in the respective topologies.

Right?
Goldbeetle
 
  • #10
Thanks!
 

1. What is a homeomorphism?

A homeomorphism is a function between two topological spaces that preserves the topological structure, meaning that the open sets in one space are mapped to open sets in the other space. In simpler terms, a homeomorphism is a continuous function with a continuous inverse.

2. How do I determine if two topological spaces are homeomorphic?

To determine if two topological spaces are homeomorphic, you can look for a function that is continuous and has a continuous inverse between the two spaces. Another way is to check if the two spaces have the same topological properties, such as connectedness, compactness, and Hausdorffness.

3. Can two different topological spaces have the same homeomorphism?

Yes, it is possible for two different topological spaces to have the same homeomorphism. This is because a homeomorphism only looks at the topological structure of the spaces, not the specific elements within them. For example, a circle and a square can be homeomorphic, even though they are different shapes.

4. How does a homeomorphism affect the properties of a topological space?

A homeomorphism preserves the properties of a topological space, meaning that if a space has a certain property, its homeomorphic counterpart will also have that property. For example, if a space is connected, its homeomorphic counterpart will also be connected.

5. Can a topological space have multiple homeomorphisms?

Yes, a topological space can have multiple homeomorphisms. In fact, for most spaces, there are infinitely many possible homeomorphisms. This is because a homeomorphism is not a unique function, but rather a class of functions that preserve the topological structure.

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