Dense set vs no isolating points

  • Context: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter SchroedingersLion
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Points Set
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concepts of dense subsets and sets with no isolating points in topology. Participants explore definitions, examples, and the relationship between these two concepts.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant defines a dense subset as one where every environment of an element in the larger set contains at least one element from the dense subset.
  • Another participant confirms that there are other rationals in each neighborhood of a rational number, supporting the idea that dense subsets can have no isolating points.
  • A counterexample is provided where a dense set can have isolated points, specifically mentioning the set ##Y = [0,1]\cup \{2\}##, where the point ##2## is isolated.
  • It is noted that while ##\mathbb{Q}## is dense in ##\mathbb{R}## and has no isolating points, this does not imply that all dense subsets lack isolating points.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the definitions of dense subsets and isolated points, but there is a disagreement regarding whether dense subsets can have isolated points, with examples provided to illustrate differing views.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes definitions that may depend on the specific topological context and the nature of the sets involved, which could affect the interpretation of dense subsets and isolated points.

SchroedingersLion
Messages
211
Reaction score
56
TL;DR
Differences between two concepts.
Greetings,

could you commend or correct the following:

A dense subset ##X## of a set ##Y## is a set such that in each environment of ##y\in Y##, there is at least one element ##x\in X##. In other words, the elements of ##Y## can be approximated arbitrarily well by elements in ##X##.

A set with no isolating points is a set such that in each environment of ##a\in A##, there are other elements of A.

Are dense subsets automatically sets with no isolating points?
Simple example, ##\mathbb{Q}## is dense in ##\mathbb{R}##, so in each environment of ##x\in \mathbb{R}## there is at least one element ##\in \mathbb{Q}##. But take an ##x\in \mathbb{Q}##. Are there other rationals in each environment of a rational?SL
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Yes there are other rationals in each neighborhood of a rational! Given a rational ##q\in \mathbb{Q}##, simply consider ##q+\frac{1}{n}## where ##n## is a sufficiently large natural number (basically this is rewording that ##q+\frac{1}{n}\to q##).

Your definition of dense set seems ok to me. This is equivalent with saying that the closure of ##X## is ##Y## or that ##X## intersects every open set of ##Y##.

A dense set can evidently have isolated points. Consider the space ##Y = [0,1]\cup \{2\}## (with the subspace topology inherited from the usual topology). Then ##X=Y## is dense in itself (trivially) but ##2## is isolated in ##X## since ##\{2\}## is an open set.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: SchroedingersLion
Thank you Math_QED,

so while ##\mathbb{Q}## is dense in ##\mathbb{R}## and has no isolating points, it is generally not true that dense subsets have no isolating points.
 
SchroedingersLion said:
Thank you Math_QED,

so while ##\mathbb{Q}## is dense in ##\mathbb{R}## and has no isolating points, it is generally not true that dense subsets have no isolating points.

Exactly.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
2K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K