Is a dense, locally compact subspace always open in a compact Hausdorff space?

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In summary, a dense, locally compact subspace is a subset of a topological space that is both compact and locally compact. A compact Hausdorff space, on the other hand, is a topological space that is both compact and Hausdorff. While a dense, locally compact subspace may be open in a compact Hausdorff space, it is not always the case. If a dense, locally compact subspace is open in a compact Hausdorff space, it is also a compact Hausdorff space in its own right, which can be useful in certain applications. Additionally, a dense, locally compact subspace can also be both open and closed in a compact Hausdorff space.
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Euge
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Here is this week's POTW:

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Let $X$ be a compact Hausdorff space. If $X$ contains a dense, locally compact subspace $S$, show that $S$ is open in $X$.
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Remember to read the https://mathhelpboards.com/showthread.php?772-Problem-of-the-Week-%28POTW%29-Procedure-and-Guidelines to find out how to https://mathhelpboards.com/forms.php?do=form&fid=2!
 
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This week's problem was solved correctly by Janssens. You can read his solution below.
Let $p \in S$ be arbitrary. By local compactness there exists an open subset $U$ of $S$ such that $p \in U$ and the closure $\overline{U}^S$ of $U$ in $S$ is compact in $S$, hence in $X$ as well. Since $X$ is Hausdorff, it follows that $\overline{U}^S$ is closed in $X$, so
$$
\overline{U} \subseteq \overline{U}^S,
$$
where the left-hand side (without the superscript) denotes the closure in $X$.

Secondly, since $U$ is open in the subspace topology of $S$, there exists an open set $O \subseteq X$ such that $U = O \cap S$. We show that $O \subseteq S$. We note that
$$
O \subseteq \overline{O \cap S}.
$$
(Indeed, let $x \in O$ be arbitrary and let $B \subseteq X$ be any open set with $x \in B$. Since $O$ is open and $S$ is dense in $X$, the open set $B \cap O$ intersects $S$. Hence $B \cap (O \cap S) \neq \emptyset$ so $x \in \overline{O \cap S}$.) Next, using the two previously displayed equations in order, we obtain the inclusions
$$
O \subseteq \overline{O \cap S} = \overline{U} \subseteq \overline{U}^S \subseteq S.
$$
This shows that $p$ is an interior point of $S$ with respect to $X$, so $S$ is open in $X$.

Remarks: Compactness of $X$ is not needed. Also, I recall this problem from a lecture I enjoyed in the past, so I do not want to pretend the above solution is entirely my own.
 

FAQ: Is a dense, locally compact subspace always open in a compact Hausdorff space?

1. What is a dense, locally compact subspace?

A dense, locally compact subspace is a subset of a topological space that contains points that are arbitrarily close to every other point in the space. It is also compact, meaning that it is closed and bounded, and locally compact, meaning that each point has a compact neighborhood.

2. What is a compact Hausdorff space?

A compact Hausdorff space is a topological space that satisfies two properties: it is compact, meaning that every open cover of the space has a finite subcover, and it is Hausdorff, meaning that for any two distinct points in the space, there exist disjoint open sets containing each point.

3. Is every dense, locally compact subspace open in a compact Hausdorff space?

No, not necessarily. While a dense, locally compact subspace may be open in a compact Hausdorff space, it is not always the case. There are examples of compact Hausdorff spaces where the dense, locally compact subspace is not open.

4. What is the significance of a dense, locally compact subspace being open in a compact Hausdorff space?

If a dense, locally compact subspace is open in a compact Hausdorff space, it indicates that the subspace is also a compact Hausdorff space in its own right. This can be useful in certain mathematical and scientific applications.

5. Can a dense, locally compact subspace be closed in a compact Hausdorff space?

Yes, a dense, locally compact subspace can be both open and closed in a compact Hausdorff space. This is because a compact Hausdorff space can contain many different subsets that are both open and closed, including dense, locally compact subspaces.

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