Plausibility of a Discrete Point Manifold

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the nature of a discrete set of points in the context of manifold theory, specifically addressing whether such a set can be classified as a manifold and its orientability for a count greater than two. The scope includes theoretical considerations of topology and manifold definitions.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question whether a discrete set of points can be considered a manifold, suggesting that if each point's neighborhood is a set containing only that point, it may not satisfy the manifold definition.
  • Others argue that every countable discrete space qualifies as a topological 0-manifold, citing definitions of topological spaces and the properties of discrete spaces.
  • One participant presents lemmas to support the claim that a countable discrete space is second countable, Hausdorff, and homeomorphic to ##\mathbb{R}^0##, thereby establishing it as a 0-manifold.
  • There is uncertainty expressed regarding the third lemma about homeomorphism, with a participant feeling it may be overly simplistic.
  • Some participants assert that the manifold structure will be orientable for ##k>2##, while others seek clarification on this point.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that a countable discrete space can be classified as a 0-manifold, but there is disagreement regarding the implications of this classification and the orientability of such manifolds. The discussion remains unresolved on the specifics of orientability and the validity of certain lemmas.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include potential missing assumptions about the nature of discrete spaces and the definitions of manifold properties. The discussion also reflects varying levels of confidence among participants regarding the material.

Mandelbroth
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Consider a discrete set of ##k## points.

First, is it a manifold? I know that a manifold is a topological space that contains a neighborhood homeomorphic to Euclidean space for each point. Can we just consider each point's neighborhood to be a set containing only that point?

Second, would the structure be orientable for ##k>2##?
 
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Can we just consider each point's neighborhood to be a set containing only that point?

You can, but then where is the homeomorphism to an open subset of [itex]\mathbb{R}^n[/itex]? All singleton sets in [itex]\mathbb{R}^n[/itex] are closed.
 
Every countable discrete space is a topological 0-manifold; the converse holds as well. Here a discrete space is a set equipped with the discrete topology. This is a trivial exercise so try to show it yourself. Define a topological n-manifold as a second countable Hausdorff space that is locally Euclidean of dimension n (i.e. every point has a neighborhood that is homeomorphic to an open subset of ##\mathbb{R}^{n}##).
 
WannabeNewton said:
Every countable discrete space is a topological 0-manifold; the converse holds as well. Here a discrete space is a set equipped with the discrete topology. This is a trivial exercise so try to show it yourself. Define a topological n-manifold as a second countable Hausdorff space that is locally Euclidean of dimension n (i.e. every point has a neighborhood that is homeomorphic to an open subset of ##\mathbb{R}^{n}##).

And to add to this: yes, the manifold will be orientable.
 
WannabeNewton said:
Every countable discrete space is a topological 0-manifold; the converse holds as well. Here a discrete space is a set equipped with the discrete topology. This is a trivial exercise so try to show it yourself. Define a topological n-manifold as a second countable Hausdorff space that is locally Euclidean of dimension n (i.e. every point has a neighborhood that is homeomorphic to an open subset of ##\mathbb{R}^{n}##).
I'm not very confident with this material, so...here I go:

Lemma #1: If the space is a countable discrete space, then it is also a second countable space.
//Proof: If the space is countable and discrete, then there are a countable number of singletons. The singletons can, therefore, form a countable basis for the discrete space.##\halmos##​

Lemma #2: If the space is a countable discrete space, then it is a Hausdorff space.
//Proof: If the space is a discrete space, then the points are necessarily disjoint. ##\halmos##​

Lemma #3: Each point in a discrete space is homeomorphic to ##\mathbb{R}^0##.
//Proof: Homeomorphism is the identity map. ##\halmos##?​

Considering lemmas 1, 2, and 3, we have established that a countable discrete space is a second countable Hausdorff space of dimension 0 with each neighborhood homeomorphic to Euclidean space of dimension 0, and therefore a 0-manifold. ##\blackhalmos##

I'm not sure about the third lemma. It feels too...blunt.

@Micromass: How is it orientable? Could you, perhaps...nudge me in the right direction?
(Also...you've not responded to my personal message about operators. It's been 3 weeks. :frown:)
 
Last edited:
That all looks good! Cheers.
 

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