Topology of the Reals: Combining Unions into Single Intervals

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the topology of the real numbers, specifically focusing on the properties of sets defined by unions and intervals. Participants are examining concepts such as interior points, boundary points, accumulation points, and isolated points within the context of the Euclidean topology.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking, Mixed

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants are exploring whether unions of intervals can be combined into single intervals and questioning the correctness of their identified interior, boundary, and accumulation points. There is also discussion about the nature of isolated points and how they relate to the sets being analyzed.

Discussion Status

Some participants express confidence in their answers while others seek clarification on specific points, particularly regarding the properties of set (c). There is an ongoing exploration of definitions and the implications of mixed rational and irrational numbers within the sets.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working under the assumption of the usual Euclidean topology on the reals and are addressing potential constraints related to the nature of the sets being discussed, such as the presence of rational and irrational numbers.

Shackleford
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Can I simply combine the unions into a single interval like I did in (a)? The closed interval [1,4] fills in the (3) hole from (0,3), etc. I did something similar in (b).

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n149/camarolt4z28/IMG_20110906_221620.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n149/camarolt4z28/IMG_20110906_221628.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n149/camarolt4z28/IMG_20110906_221635.jpg
 
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Yeah, I just want to make sure my answers are correct.

I have the correct interior, boundary, accumulation, and isolated points for (a), (b), and (c)? I didn't have any isolated points.
 
sorry its not exactly clear what you're attempting?

also it would probably be quicker to type these, that way I could cut and paste as well - and I'm lazy

you need to find the
- int = interior?
- bd = boundary?
- Sbar = closure?

of the given set based on the "normal" topology of the reals?
 
Shackleford said:
Yeah, I just want to make sure my answers are correct.

I have the correct interior, boundary, accumulation, and isolated points for (a), (b), and (c)? I didn't have any isolated points.

ok what's accumulation? is that accumulation points, so all limit points or the closure of S?
 
ok, so starting again a) looks good
 
b) also
 
They look right.

Took me a while to decide on (c). The thread title helped.

I assume it's the Euclidean (usual) Topology on the reals.
 
c) not so much

for this case, the interior is not the open interval as S does not contain irrational numbers...

i think the closure and boundary are ok as S is dense in the reals and also in (0, sqrt(2))

now what is your definition of isolated?
 
SammyS said:
They look right.

Took me a while to decide on (c). The thread title helped.

I assume it's the Euclidean (usual) Topology on the reals.
I am in error regarding (c).

No neighborhood of any point in S is contained in S.
 
  • #10
Yeah, for (c), I wasn't sure because you have rationals and irrationals mixed in the set. Could I set the interior points to be open interval minus the irrational numbers? Maybe I could do the open interval intersect with the rationals.

An isolated point is a point that's in S but not an accumulation point.
 
  • #11
the way i read it, there's only rationals in S

for the interior how about just S? there's nothing to say it can't equal its interior (unless you can find an issue)

i think the rest is ok
 
  • #12
For (c):

Any open set that contains a point of S, also contains points not in S, so it is not a subset of S.

It seems to me that the interior of S is empty.
 
  • #13
for (c): the interior of S is empty, the boundary of S is [0,\sqrt{2}]. Can you figure out why?
 
  • #14
yep agree
 
  • #15
micromass said:
for (c): the interior of S is empty, the boundary of S is [0,\sqrt{2}]. Can you figure out why?

Well, for each rational point in the interval, you can find irrational numbers in every neighborhood, and so the intersection with the rationals and irrationals (S and S-complement) is always nonempty.

Every point is either an interior or boundary point, and since every point in S is a boundary point, that means int S equals the empty set.

By the same reasoning, each boundary point [0,\sqrt{2}] is also an accumulation point. You can always find rationals in all of your deleted neighborhoods. Since there are no interior points, each point is an isolated point. But that is contradictory.
 
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  • #16
I'm reasonably confident these answers are correct.

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n149/camarolt4z28/IMG_20110911_113312.jpg
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n149/camarolt4z28/IMG_20110911_113318.jpg
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n149/camarolt4z28/IMG_20110911_113323.jpg
 
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