MATH F311: INTRODUCTION TO TOPOLOGY

ASSIGNMENT SHEET-5

M.THAMBAN NAIR

• Verify the following statements:

(1) Let X be a topological space and E ⊆ X0 ⊆ X. Then E is a connected subset
of X0 iff E is a connected subset of X.
(2) Let X be a topological space and E0 , E1 , . . . , En are connected subsets of X
such that Ei−1 ∩ Ei ̸= for i = 1, . . . , n, then ni=0 Ei is connected.
S

(3) Suppose X is a disconnected topological space and (A, B) is a separation of X.

If E is a connected subset of X, then either E ⊆ A or E ⊆ B.
(4) Let X be a topological space. Then X is connected iff every pair of points in
X is contained in a connected subset of X.
(5) Suppose (En ) is a sequence of connected subsets of a topological space X such
that En ∩ En+1 ̸= for every n ∈ N. Then ∞
S
n=1 En connected.
(6) (Intermediate value theorem) Let X be a connected topological space and
f : X → R be a continuous function (with usual topology on R). Suppose
x1 , x2 ∈ X be such that f (x1 ) < f (x2 ). Then, for every γ ∈ R such that

f (x1 ) < γ < f (x2 ),

there exists x ∈ X such that f (x) = γ.

(7) Let [a, b] and R be with usual topologies. Let f : [a, b] → R be a continuous
function and f (a) < f (b). If γ ∈ R is such that f (a) < γ < f (b), then show
that there exists x ∈ [a, b] such that f (x) = γ.
(8) Closure of a connected subset of a topological space is connected.
(9) Suppose A is a connected subset of a topological space X and B ⊆ X is such
that A ⊆ B ⊆ Ā. Then B is connected.
(10) A topological space is disconnected iff there exists a continuous function from
X onto a two-point set with discrete topology.
(11) Every discrete space is totally disconnected.
(12) The topological spaces Q and R \ Q are totally disconnected with respect to
the induced usual topology.

Date: October 20, 2023.

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2 M.THAMBAN NAIR

(13) Let x, y be in a topological space X. If f : [a, b] → X is a path from x to y,

then for every closed interval [c, d], there is a continuous function g : [c, d] → X
which is also a path from x to y.
(14) Let X be a topological space and x, y, z ∈ X. If there is a path from x to y
and a path from y to z, then there is a path from x to z.
(15) A topological space X is path connected iff for every x, y ∈ X, there exists a
continuous function φ : [0, 1] → X such that φ(0) = x and φ(1) = y.
(16) Every path connected space is connected.
(17) Let A and B be path connected subsets of a topological space such that A∩B ̸=.
Then A ∪ B is path connected in X.
(18) Let {Eα : α ∈ Λ} be a family of path connected subsets of a topological space
T S
X such that α∈Λ Eα ̸=. Then E := α∈Λ Eα is path connected.
(19) Let E0 , E1 , . . . , En be path connected subsets of a topological space X such that
Ei−1 ∩ Ei ̸= for i ∈ {1, . . . , n}. Then ni=0 Ei is path connected.
S

(20) Let (En ) be a sequence of path connected subsets of a topological space X such
that En ∩ En+1 ̸= for every n ∈ N. Then ∞
S
i=1 Ei is path connected.

Department of Mathematics, BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus, Goa 403 726
Email address: mtnair@goa.bits-pilani.ac.in; mtnair@faculty.iitm.ac.in