Are the following Sets: Open, Closed, Compact, Connected

In summary: In this case, S is not closed because it does not contain all its limit points, but it is open because it does not contain its boundary points.
  • #1
emergentecon
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Homework Statement


Ok I created this question to check my thinking.
Are the following Sets: Open, Closed, Compact, Connected

Note: Apologies for bad notation.

S: [0,1)∪(1,2]
V: [0,1)∩(1,2]

Homework Equations



S: [0,1)∪(1,2]
V: [0,1)∩(1,2]

The Attempt at a Solution



S: [0,1)∪(1,2]
Closed - because 0 and 2 represent boundary points
Compact - because S is closed and bounded
Not Connected - because it can be separated into two open disjoint sets [0,1) and [2]

V: [0,1)∩(1,2]
Open - because the set is (1)
Not Compact - because it is open
Connected - because it cannot be separated into two open disjoint sets
 
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  • #2
Another definition of closed is that the set contains its limit points. I can think of one limit point of S that is not in S. Are you familiar with the definition of a ball or some books call it a neighborhood.

As for V, as written, V is empty. The ")" means everything up to, but not including.
 
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  • #3
MostlyHarmless said:
Another definition of closed is that the set contains its limit points. I can think of one limit point of S that is not in S. Are you familiar with the definition of a ball or some books call it a neighborhood.

As for V, as written, V is empty. The ")" means everything up to, but not including.

Yes I am aware of a ball. It is used in my book to explain the concept of an open set.
But even so, I thought it was closed, because for the Union I get [0,2] which is, as I understood it, by default closed, given that it includes the boundary points namely, 0 and 2?
What am I missing? What example do you have?As for V . . . didn't realize the intersection there is the null set . . . really thought it was 1 . . . damn.

Thanks.
 
  • #4
You're getting confused on your interval notation. 1 is not in your set S as written. 1 is not in [0, 1) and 1 is not in (1,0]. But any ball centered at 1 will intersect your set non-trivially, thus 1 is a limit point but it is not in S. So S is not closed.

Also, closed and not open are not the same thing, a set can be both closed and open or neither open nor closed.
 

1. What is an open set and how is it different from a closed set?

An open set is a set in which all of its points are interior points, meaning that there exists a small ball around each point that is completely contained within the set. A closed set, on the other hand, includes all of its boundary points. In other words, there are no points on the edge of a closed set that are not also included in the set itself.

2. How can you determine if a set is compact?

A set is compact if it is both closed and bounded. This means that the set contains all of its boundary points and is also limited in size. Another way to think about compact sets is that they are sets that can be covered by a finite number of open sets.

3. What makes a set connected?

A set is connected if it cannot be divided into two or more non-empty, disjoint subsets. In other words, there are no gaps or holes within a connected set. A simple example of a connected set is a straight line, as it cannot be broken into two separate lines.

4. Can a set be both open and closed?

Yes, a set can be both open and closed. This is known as a clopen set. An example of a clopen set is the set of all real numbers between 0 and 1, including both 0 and 1. This set is open because it does not contain its boundary points, but it is also closed because it includes all of its boundary points.

5. How are these set properties important in mathematics?

These set properties are important in mathematics because they allow us to define and classify different types of sets. Understanding the characteristics of open, closed, compact, and connected sets helps us to better understand how sets behave and interact with one another. Additionally, these properties have applications in various fields of mathematics, such as analysis, topology, and geometry.

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