All Questions
1,583 questions
20
votes
2
answers
545
views
$\kappa$-homogeneous topological spaces
Let $\kappa>0$ be a cardinal and let $(X,\tau)$ be a topological space. We say that $X$ is $\kappa$-homogeneous if
$|X| \geq \kappa$, and
whenever $A,B\subseteq X$ are subsets with $|A|=|B|=\kappa$...
- 48.9k
19
votes
3
answers
1k
views
"Anti" fixed point property
Let $(X,\tau)$ be a topological space. If $f:X\to X$ is continuous, we say $x\in X$ is a fixed point if $f(x) = x$.
The space $(X,\tau)$ is said to have the anti fixed point property (AFPP) if the ...
- 48.9k
19
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How bogus is the glitzy proof of Borsuk-Ulam?
Suppose $f: S^2 \rightarrow {\bf R}^2$ is continuous; let $A$ be the set of points $u \in S^2$ such that $f(u)-f(-u) \in {\bf R} \times \{0\}$ (where $-u$ denotes the antipode of $u$). Given $u,-u \in ...
- 19.7k
19
votes
2
answers
803
views
Existence of a *really* nice topology on the powerset of a topological space
TL;DR. Given a topological space $X$, is there a natural way to "induce" a topology on $\mathcal{P}(X)$ from the topology of $X$ in such a way that 1) all the basic operations of set theory (...
- 11.8k
19
votes
4
answers
18k
views
On the series 1/2 + 1/3 + 1/5 + 1/7 + 1/11 + ...
It is well-known that
A: The series of the reciprocals of the primes diverges
My question is whether property A is in some sense a truth strongly tied to the nature of the prime numbers.
Property A ...
- 8,842
19
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Existence of continuous map on real numbers with dense orbit?
Does there exist a continuous map $f:\mathbb{R}\rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ such that the forward orbit of 0 is dense in $\mathbb{R}$?
- 189
19
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Infinite convex combinations in a Banach space
Let's say that a subset $C$ of a Banach space $X$ is $\sigma$-convex if the following property holds:
For any sequence $(x_k)_{k\ge0}$ in $C$, and for
any sequence of non-negative real numbers $(\...
- 60.5k
18
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Are finite spaces a model for finite CW-complexes?
Are finite topological spaces (i.e. topological spaces whose underlying set is finite) a model for the homotopy theory of finite simplicial sets (= homotopy theory of finite CW-complexes) ?
Namely, ...
- 43.2k
18
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Poincare lemma for non-smooth differentiable forms
The Poincare lemma is almost always formulated for differential forms with smooth coefficients (or sometimes for currents that have distributional coefficients). I would like to have it for $C^k$-...
- 16.4k
18
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Who first used the multiplication operator version of spectral theory
This is another history question.
Hilbert phrased the spectral theorem in terms of resolutions of the identity.
While this remained the form of Stone and von Neumann, they did also have the ...
- 827
18
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Sperner's Lemma implies Tucker's Lemma - simple combinatorial proof
Sperner’s Lemma is often called the "combinatorial analog" of Brouwer’s Fixed Point Theorem, and similarly Tucker’s Lemma is often called the combinatorial analog of Borsuk–Ulam’s Theorem.
We can ...
- 6,917
18
votes
3
answers
7k
views
Quotient of metric spaces
Let $(X,d)$ be a compact metric space and $\sim$ an equivalence relation on $X$ such that the quotient space $X/\sim$ is Hausdorff. It is well known that in this case the quotient is metrizable. My ...
- 1,769
18
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Proper discontinuity and existence of a fundamental domain
I am currently teaching a topics course where I talk about some discrete groups acting properly. A student asked a very basic question that stumped me: what is the precise relationship between proper ...
- 1,574
18
votes
1
answer
5k
views
Unbounded linear operator defined on $l^2$
Let $l^2$ be a Hilbert space of infinite sequences $(z_0, z_1, \cdots)$ with finite $\sum_{i=0}^{\infty} |z_i|^2$.
Are there any simple example of unbounded linear opearator $T: l^2 \to l^2$ with $D(...
- 2,821
17
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Positive-Definite Functions and Fourier Transforms
Bochner's theorem states that a positive definite function is the Fourier transform of a finite Borel measure. As well, an easy converse of this is that a Fourier transform must be positive definite.
...
- 4,952
17
votes
3
answers
905
views
Existence of translation-invariant basis on $C_c(\mathbb R)$
Consider the space $C_c(\mathbb R)$ of complex-valued continuous functions of compact support. This is a vector space over $\mathbb C$, and I am not considering any topology, so the question is ...
- 2,071
17
votes
8
answers
3k
views
Smooth classifying spaces?
Take G to be a group. I care about discrete groups, but the answer in general would be welcome too. There are the various ways to construct the classifying space of G, bar construction, cellular ...
- 1,422
17
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Why is multiplication on the space of smooth functions with compact support continuous?
I asked the question
Why is multiplication on the space of smooth functions with compact support continuous? on M.SE
sometime ago but I didn't receive a satisfactory answer.
I was reading this ...
- 394
17
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Conditional probabilities are measurable functions - when are they continuous?
Let $\Omega$ be a Banach space; for the sake of this post, we will take $\Omega = {\mathbb R}^2$, but I am more interested in the infinite dimensional setting. Take $\mathcal F$ to be the Borel $\...
- 8,512
16
votes
2
answers
682
views
Ultraweak topology on B(X): Is the map X\otimes X* -> B(X)* isometric?
Let $X$ be a Banach space. Consider the map
$$
\alpha\colon X\hat{\otimes} X^* \to B(X)^*,
$$
defined one simple tensors as
$$
\alpha(\xi\otimes\eta)(a) = \eta(a(\xi)).\quad (\xi\in X, \eta\in X^*, a\...
- 3,497
16
votes
2
answers
731
views
A reference to a characterization of metric spaces admitting an isometric embedding into a Hilbert space
I am looking for a reference to the bipartite version of the Schoenberg's criterion of embeddability into a Hilbert space. The Schoenberg criterion is formulated as Proposition 8.5(ii) of the book &...
- 41.8k
16
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Questions about spectra of rings of continuous functions
I have been thinking a bit about rings of continuous functions of various kinds -- how they motivate the more modern notion of the Zariski topology on the prime spectrum as well as how they fit into a ...
- 65.4k
16
votes
6
answers
3k
views
Can any topological space be the result of a scheme?
Maybe this is trivial but lets give it a try anyways..
Obviously there is a forgetful functor from schemes to topological space.. but is it surjective on objects? i.e. I ask whether any topological ...
- 2,275
16
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Is there a "disjoint union" sigma algebra?
I'm looking for a measure-theoretic analogue to the disjoint union topology, or for work on the $\sigma$-algebra generated by canonical injections. More formally:
For an indexed family of sets $\{A_i\...
- 629
16
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Why does the singular simplicial space geometrically realize to the original space?
I have seen it claimed that (for compactly generated Hausdorff spaces) the geometric realization of the singular (internal) simplicial space is homotopy equivalent to the original space. I know how to ...
- 27.5k
16
votes
2
answers
820
views
Klee's trick --- more applications
In his "Some topological properties..." (1955), Klee gave a construction (simple and beautiful) of an isotopy $h_t\colon\mathbb{R}^{2\cdot n}\to \mathbb{R}^{2\cdot n}$ which moves any compact set $K$ ...
- 45k
16
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Is there a conceptual reason why topological spaces have quotient structures while metric spaces don't?
Of the mathematical objects that I am familiar with, it is normally the case that the product of 2 objects is an object of the same type and that an equivalence relation on an object induces a ...
- 357
16
votes
1
answer
607
views
The dominating number $\mathfrak{d}$ and convergent sequences
All spaces considered below are compact Hausdorff.
If $K$ is a space, then $w(K)$ is its weight. For a Boolean algebra $\mathcal{A}$, $K_\mathcal{A}$ denotes its Stone space. I am interested in ...
- 1,151
15
votes
1
answer
512
views
fundamental groups of complements to countable subsets of the plane
This question is a follow-up of this MSE post and a comment by Henno Brandsma:
Question 1. Let $S$ be the set of isomorphism classes of fundamental groups $\pi_1(E^2 - C)$, where $C$ ranges over all ...
- 12.3k
15
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Generalizations of the Tietze extension theorem (and Lusin's theorem)
I am reasking a year-old math.stackexchange.com question asked by someone else.
(For my needs every space $X$ and $Y$ will be Polish---that is a completely separably metrizable space.)
The Tietze ...
- 6,287
15
votes
1
answer
1k
views
continuous images of open intervals
The well-known Hahn-Mazurkiewicz theorem characterizes those nonempty Hausdorff spaces $X$ that admit a continuous surjection $\alpha: [0, 1] \to X$ from the closed unit interval: it is necessary and ...
- 53.3k
15
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Can the Riemann integral be defined through a closure/completion process?
Let us consider real-valued functions on the bounded interval $[0,1]$. A "step function" means an element of the vector space spanned by indicator functions of (points and) intervals in $[0,1]$ (the ...
- 32.5k
15
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Bases for spaces of smooth functions
Let $S$ denote the space of rapidly decreasing sequences, which means sequences $a=(a_k)_{k=1}^\infty$ such that the numbers $p_d(a)=\sup\{k^d|a_k| : 1\leq k<\infty\}$ are finite for all $d\in\...
- 56.9k
15
votes
1
answer
442
views
Nonperiodic points of homeomorphisms of a ball
Suppose $B$ is a $d$-dimensional ball (for some $d \geq 1$) and $T$ is a homeomorphism from $B$ to itself. Suppose also that $T$ is not of finite order (that is, for no $n \geq 1$ is it the case that $...
- 19.7k
15
votes
1
answer
680
views
Open bilinear maps that are not uniformly open
A map $f\colon X\to Y$ between metric spaces is uniformly open whenever for each $\varepsilon >0$ there is $\delta >0$ such that for any $x\in X$ one has
$$B_Y\big(f(x),\delta\big)\subseteq f\...
- 11.3k
15
votes
0
answers
409
views
Is there a continuous map $f:\mathbb R^\omega\to\mathbb R^\omega$ with dense countable preimage $f^{-1}(\mathbb Q^\omega)$?
Let $\mathbb Q^\omega_0:=\{(x_i)_{i\in\omega}\in\mathbb Q^\omega:\exists n\in\omega\;\forall m\ge n\;\;x_m=0\}$ and observe that $\mathbb Q^\omega_0$ is a countable dense set in $\mathbb R^\omega$ (...
- 41.8k
14
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Are infinite simplicial complexes all manifolds?
Are infinite dimensional simplicial complexes manifolds locally modeled on $\mathbb R^\infty=\operatorname{colim}\mathbb R^n$? If they are homotopy equivalent, are they homeomorphic?
Of course not. ...
- 8,717
14
votes
2
answers
6k
views
Are weak and strong convergence of sequences not equivalent?
For some infinite-dimensional Banach spaces $E$, it is easy to find sequences $\langle x_i:i\in\mathbb N_0\rangle$ which converge to zero weakly but not in the norm topology, i.e. we have $\lim_{i\to\...
- 3,584
14
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Well-pointed space which is not locally contractible
I am looking for an example of a well-pointed space in which no (sufficiently small) neighbourhood of the base-point is contractible. As usual, a well-pointed space is a pointed space in which the ...
- 6,210
14
votes
2
answers
1k
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Are smooth functions tame?
I know the article of Hamilton on the inverse function theorem of Nash and Moser (with the same title) where he proves that $C^\infty(M)$ is a tame Fréchet space, when $M$ is closed or compact with ...
- 9,853
14
votes
3
answers
6k
views
What is the definition of continuity of set-valued functions?
According to the wiki of Kakutani's fixed-point theorem, A set-valued mapping $\varphi$ from a topological space $X$ into a powerset $\wp(Y)$ called upper semi-continuous if for every open set $W \...
- 143
14
votes
2
answers
502
views
Near permutation $n\mapsto n+1$ not conjugate to its inverse on the Stone-Čech remainder?
Let $\beta\omega$ be the Stone-Čech compactification of the discrete infinite countable space $\omega$, and $\beta^*\omega=\beta\omega\smallsetminus \omega$ is the Stone-Čech remainder.
The map $j:n\...
- 63.9k
14
votes
6
answers
3k
views
What's a natural candidate for an analytic function that interpolates the tower function?
I know that there are analytic functions whose composition with itself is the exponential function, the so-called functional square root of the exponential function, with the additional property that ...
- 4,466
13
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Importance of separability vs. second-countability
For me second-countability always felt like to be the more important and fundamental concept from general topology than separability. I wonder whether there are any points which can be made for the ...
- 2,442
13
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Is the set of separable quantum states closed?
Let $\mathcal H,\mathcal H'$ be Hilbert spaces (not necessarily separable).
A "separable state" is a trace-class operator of the form $\sum_i \rho_i\otimes\rho_i'$ where $\rho_i,\rho_i'$ are positive ...
- 896
13
votes
0
answers
818
views
Covering number estimates for Hölder balls
Let $\alpha \in (0,1]$, $r>0$ and $L>0$, and positive intwgers $n$ and $m$. The Arzela-Ascoli Theorem guarantees that the set $X(\alpha,L,r)$ of $f:[-1,1]^n\rightarrow [-r,r]^m$ with $\alpha$-...
- 5,405
13
votes
0
answers
254
views
Planar arc on a topologically embedded sphere or disk in $\mathbb{R}^3$
An arc is a set homeomorphic to the unit interval $[0,1]$; an arc in $\mathbb{R}^3$ is planar if it is contained in some plane.
The following questions are motivated by Anton Petrunin's Disc bounded ...
- 7,276
13
votes
1
answer
365
views
Is there a computable homeomorphism between two different Cartesian powers of the computable real numbers?
It's well know that it is surprisingly difficult to prove that $\mathbb{R}^n$ and $\mathbb{R}^m$ are not homeomorphic for $n\neq m$. Commonly proofs go through Brouwer's fixed point theorem, which is '...
- 12.5k
13
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Connectedness in the plane
There are several open problems in topology which concern connectedness and subsets of the plane. The biggest of these is undoubtedly:
Question. Does every non-separating plane continuum have the ...
- 955
13
votes
0
answers
491
views
Does Hahn-Banach for $\ell^\infty$ imply the existence of a non-measurable set?
Working over ZF but without the Axiom of Choice (AC), assume that the Hahn–Banach Theorem holds for $\ell^\infty$. Does it follow that there exists a set of real numbers that is not Lebesgue ...
- 82.7k