Subspace Topology

Entt

26 April 2011

Contents

1 Subspace topology 2

1.1 Open sets in the subspace topology . . . 2

1.2 Closed sets in the subspace toppology . 2

1.3 Definition. Closure . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

1.4 Closure of subsets of Y . . . . . . . . . . 3

1.5 E.g. the standard, product, order, and

subspace topologies on R and R2 . . . . 3

2 Open subsets of an open subspace 4

3 Closed subsets of a closed subspace 4

1
4 Basis of an open subspace 5

4.1 Countereg when Y is not open . . . . . . 5

1 Subspace topology

Let X have topology and Y a subset of X. Then

defnie open sets of Y to be intersections of open
sets of X with Y.

1.1 Open sets in the subspace topology

The definition means that open sets of Y are inter-

sections of open sets of X with Y.

1.2 Closed sets in the subspace toppology

Closed subsets of Y are intersections of closed sub-

sets of X with Y.

Proof.
Y − (V ∩ Y ) = ( X − V ) ∩ Y

2
1.3 Definition. Closure

Let A ⊂ X . Then define the closure A X of A in X to

be the intersection of all closed subsets of X con-
taining A.

1.4 Closure of subsets of Y

Let A ⊂ Y subspace X . Then A Y = A X ∩ Y .

Proof.
A Y = ∩(closed subsets of Y containing A)
= ∩(C ∩ Y )
= Y ∩ (∩ C )
= Y ∩ AX
where C are closed subsets of X containing A.

3
2 Remark. Subspace inherits open, closed sets
and closures from the parent space through
intersection

All the open sets of Y are open sets of X intersected

with Y. Same with closed sets and closures of sub-
sets of Y.

3 E.g. the standard, product, order, and sub-

space topologies on R and R2

The standard and order topologies on R are the same.

So the product topologies on R2 coming from these
topologies are the same; which is different from the
order topology on R2 .

Let Y = 0 × R be the subset of R2 corresponding to

the vertical y-axis. Then whether R2 has the product
or order topology, Y will inherit the same subspace
topology from R2 , and this subspace topology is the
same as the standard / order topology on R.

4
4 Open subsets of an open subspace

Let Y be an open subspace of X , and U a subset

of Y . Then U is open in Y iff U is open in X . I.e.
TY ⊂ T X .

5 Closed subsets of a closed subspace

Let Y be a closed subspace of X, and U a subset of

Y. Then U is closed in Y iff U is closed in X.

6 Basis of an open subspace

Let Y be an open subspace of X , and B X be a basis

for X . Then BY := {B ∈ B X |B ⊂ Y } is a basis for Y .

6.1 Countereg when Y is not open

If Y is a nonopen subspace of X , then it’s not true

that, for any basis B X for X , BY as defined above
will be a basis for Y .

E.g. take X = R with the standard topology, B X be

the basis of X containing open intervals in R, and
5
Y = [0, 1]. Then Y is not open, and BY = {B ∈ B X |B ⊂
Y } does not contain the end points 0 and 1, so cannot
generate Y .