Metric Space - Open and Closed Sets, Topology and Convergence

Open and Closed Sets, Topology and Convergence

Every metric space is a topological space in a natural manner, and therefore all definitions and theorems about general topological spaces also apply to all metric spaces.

About any point in a metric space we define the open ball of radius about as the set

These open balls form the base for a topology on M, making it a topological space.

Explicitly, a subset of is called open if for every in there exists an such that is contained in . The complement of an open set is called closed. A neighborhood of the point is any subset of that contains an open ball about as a subset.

A topological space which can arise in this way from a metric space is called a metrizable space; see the article on metrization theorems for further details.

A sequence in a metric space is said to converge to the limit iff for every, there exists a natural number N such that for all . Equivalently, one can use the general definition of convergence available in all topological spaces.

A subset of the metric space is closed iff every sequence in that converges to a limit in has its limit in .

Read more about this topic:  Metric Space

Famous quotes containing the words open and/or closed:

    All of the valuable qualities ... like helping in the development of others—will not get you to the top at General Motors, were that path open to women.... The characteristics most highly developed in women and perhaps most essential to human beings are the very characteristics that are specifically dysfunctional for success in the world as it is.... They may, however, be the important ones for making the world different.
    Jean Baker Miller (20th century)

    She was so overcome by the splendor of his achievement that she took him into the closet and selected a choice apple and delivered it to him, along with an improving lecture upon the added value and flavor a treat took to itself when it came without sin through virtuous effort. And while she closed with a Scriptural flourish, he “hooked” a doughnut.
    Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910)