All Questions
824 questions
-4
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Does a coarser topology lead to a non-Hausdorff topological manifold? [closed]
Take a topological manifold $M$. Suppose one considers a strictly coarser topology than the manifold topology. Can such topology result in a non-Hausdorff topological manifold?
NOTE: PLEASE avoid the ...
- 612
-11
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Union of uniformly connected sets
I will call a set uniformly connected regarding some uniform space when it is connected regarding every entourage of this uniform space (entourages are considered as digraphs and it is taken strong ...
- 765
77
votes
4
answers
15k
views
What are good mathematical models for spider webs?
Sometimes I see spider webs in very complex surroundings, like in the middle of twigs in a tree or in a bush. I keep thinking “if you understand the spider web, you understand the space around it”. ...
- 6,937
71
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Dualizing the notion of topological space
$\require{AMScd}$
Defining a topological space on a set $X$ is equivalent to designating certain subobjects of $X$ in ${\bf Set}$ (monomorphisms into $X$ up to equivalence) as open. The requirements ...
user30211
66
votes
5
answers
8k
views
Does homology have a coproduct?
Standard algebraic topology defines the cup product which defines a ring structure on the cohomology of a topological space. This ring structure arises because cohomology is a contravariant functor ...
- 661
54
votes
3
answers
9k
views
If any open set is a countable union of balls, does it imply separability?
If a metric space is separable, then any open set is a countable union of balls. Is the converse statement true?
UPDATE1. It is a duplicate of the question here
https://math.stackexchange.com/...
- 109k
51
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Is each squared finite group trivial?
A semigroup $S$ is defined to be squared if there exists a subset $A\subseteq S$ such that the function $A\times A\to S$, $(x,y)\mapsto xy$, is bijective.
Problem: Is each squared finite group ...
- 41.9k
50
votes
7
answers
5k
views
Is there an algebraic approach to metric spaces?
It is well known that most topological spaces can be studied via their algebra of continuous real-valued (or complex-valued) functions. For instance, in the setting of compact Hausdorff spaces, there ...
- 4,874
47
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Which topological spaces admit a nonstandard metric?
My question is about the concept of nonstandard metric space that would arise from a use of the nonstandard reals R* in place of the usual R-valued metric.
That is, let us define that a topological ...
- 236k
47
votes
3
answers
3k
views
A metric characterization of the real line
Is the following metric characterization of the real line true (and known)?
A nonempty complete metric space $(X,d)$ is isometric to the real line if and only if for every $c\in X$ and positive real ...
- 41.9k
41
votes
4
answers
2k
views
What is the probability two random maps on n symbols commute?
It is well known that two randomly chosen permutations of $n$ symbols commute with probability $p_n/n!$ where $p_n$ is the number of partitions of $n$. This is a special case of the fact that in a ...
- 38.6k
40
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Is every connected scheme path connected?
Every (?) algebraic geometer knows that concepts like homotopy groups or singular homology groups are irrelevant for schemes in their Zariski topology. Yet, I am curious about the following.
Let's ...
- 47.5k
40
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Are there only countably many compact topological manifolds?
Up to homeomorphism, there are 2 one-dimensional topological manifolds and countably many 2- and 3-dimensional compact manifolds, respectively, since each manifold in these dimensions can be ...
- 3,017
39
votes
3
answers
6k
views
Why do finite homotopy groups imply finite homology groups?
Why does a space with finite homotopy groups [for every n] have finite homology groups? How can I proof this [not only for connected spaces with trivial fundamental group]? The converse is false. $\...
- 2,782
38
votes
3
answers
2k
views
If $X$ and $Y$ are homotopy equivalent, then are $X \times \mathbb{R}^{\infty}$ and $Y \times \mathbb{R}^{\infty}$ homeomorphic?
Let $X$ and $Y$ be reasonable spaces. Since $\mathbb{R}^{\infty}$ is contractible,
$$
X \times \mathbb{R}^{\infty} \cong Y \times \mathbb{R}^{\infty} \;\;\; \implies \;\;\; X \simeq Y.
$$
Is the ...
- 5,898
38
votes
5
answers
5k
views
Does "compact iff projections are closed" require some form of choice?
There are many equivalent ways of defining the notion of compact space, but some require some kind of choice principle to prove their equivalence. For example, a classical result is that for $X$ to be ...
- 53.3k
37
votes
14
answers
5k
views
What are interesting families of subsets of a given set?
Motivation
The usual starting point of both Topology and Measure Theory is the definition of a family of subsets of a set $S$.
Indeed, one defines a topology on $S$ to be a family of subsets ...
- 33.3k
36
votes
3
answers
6k
views
In a topological space if there exists a loop that cannot be contracted to a point does there exist a simple loop that cannot be contracted also?
I'm interested in whether one only needs to consider simple loops when proving results about simply connected spaces.
If it is true that:
In a Topological Space, if there exists a loop that cannot ...
- 4,862
36
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Computing self-intersections with complex analysis
It is possible to find the winding number of a path $C \subset \mathbb{C}$ using complex analysis:
$$n = \oint_C\frac{dz}{z}.$$
You can also count the number of roots of $f(z) = 0$ inside a close ...
- 22.8k
36
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Is there a general theory of "compactification"?
In various branches of mathematics one finds diverse notions of compactification, used for diverse purposes. Certainly one does not expect all instances of "compactification" to be specializations of ...
- 64k
36
votes
4
answers
5k
views
Compact open topology on $\mathrm{Homeo}(X)$
Let $X$ and $Y$ be topological spaces. Define the compact open topology on the set $\mathrm{M}(X,Y)$ of continuous maps from $X$ to $Y$ via the subbase $[K,O]$ of all maps $f:X\rightarrow Y$ s.t. $f(K)...
- 2,751
35
votes
4
answers
4k
views
An intelligent ant living on a torus or sphere – Does it have a universal way to find out?
I wanted to ask a question about topological invariants and whether they are connected in a fundamental or universal way. I am not an expert in topology, so please let me ask this question by way of a ...
- 6,937
33
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Is $L^2(\mathbb R)$ homeomorphic to $L^1(\mathbb R)$?
Is $L^2(\mathbb R)$ homeomorphic to $L^1(\mathbb R)$?
More generally, are there instances of surprising homeomorphisms between non-isomorphic Banach spaces?
- 43.2k
33
votes
0
answers
2k
views
Is there a (discrete) monoid M injecting into its group completion G for which BM is not homotopy equivalent to BG?
For a (discrete) monoid $M$, the classifying space $BM$ is the
geometric realization of the nerve of the one object category whose
hom-set is $M$. (This definition gives the usual classfiying space
...
- 5,309
33
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Connectedness in the language of path-connectedness
Is there a topological space $(C,\tau_C)$ and two points $c_0\neq c_1\in C$ such that the following holds?
A space $(X,\tau)$ is connected if and only if for all $x,y\in X$ there is a ...
- 48.9k
32
votes
5
answers
9k
views
How many binary operations are associative?
Let $X$ be a finite set of $n$ elements, and consider a binary operation $\odot: X \times X \rightarrow X$. There are $n^{n^2}$ such binary operations, as the $n \times n$ table entries can each
be ...
- 151k
32
votes
3
answers
6k
views
Is "compact implies sequentially compact" consistent with ZF?
Over at the nForum, we've been discussing sequential compactness. The discussion led me to realise that I naively assumed that nets were simply Big Sequences, and that I could make a reasonable guess ...
- 26.8k
31
votes
13
answers
6k
views
Classic applications of Baire category theorem
I've seen Baire category theorem used to prove existence of objects with certain properties. But it seems there is another class of interesting applications of Baire category theorem that I have yet ...
30
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Does there exist any non-contractible manifold with fixed point property?
Does there exist any non-trivial space (i.e not deformation retract onto a point) in $\mathbb R^n$ such that any continuous map from the space onto itself has a fixed point. I highly suspect that the ...
- 3,751
29
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Is there a topological space X homeomorphic to the space of continuous functions from X to [0, 1]?
In general, we might ask when we can find interesting spaces $X, Y$ such that $X$ is homeomorphic to $[X, Y]$. By the Lawvere fixed point theorem $Y$ must have the fixed point property. Happily, $Y = [...
- 118k
29
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Contractibility of the space of Jordan curves
Is the space of Jordan curves in $\textbf{R}^2$ contractible? In other words, is there a canonical or continuous way to deform each Jordan curve to the unit circle $\textbf{S}^1$.
If the curves are ...
- 7,194
28
votes
1
answer
2k
views
How many polynomial Morse functions on the sphere?
Let $f$ be a homogeneous polynomial of degree $d$ in $n$ variables. Restricted to the unit sphere $S^{n-1}$, it might or might not be a Morse function.
If $f$ is a Morse function of degree $1$, you ...
- 148k
28
votes
8
answers
4k
views
Is there a compact group of countably infinite cardinality?
Apologies for the very simple question, but I can't seem to find a reference one way or the other, and it's been bugging me for a while now.
Is there a compact (Hausdorff, or even T1) (topological) ...
- 12.6k
28
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Is Furstenberg's topology useful?
It's hard not to be amused and perhaps even amazed when first encountering Furstenberg's clever "topological" proof that there are infinitely many primes. Closer inspection, however, reveals ...
28
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Is $\mathbb{C}^2$ homeomorphic to $\mathbb{C}^2 - (0,0)$ with the Zariski topology?
A fellow grad student asked me this, I have been playing for a while but have not come up with anything. Note that $\mathbb{C}$ is homeomorphic to $\mathbb{C} - \{0\}$ in the Zariski topology - just ...
- 12.1k
26
votes
4
answers
4k
views
What is the "right" universal property of the completion of a metric space?
I'm a little embarrassed to ask this one, but it could help for a class I'm teaching, so here goes:
Let $X$ be a metric space. We all know that $X$ admits a completion, which is a complete metric ...
- 65.4k
25
votes
3
answers
1k
views
What spaces $X$ do have $\text{End}(X) \cong \text{End}(\mathbb{R})$?
This is a follow-up on the following question. Let $\text{End}(X)$ denote the endomorphism monoid of a topological space $X$ (that is, the collection of all continuous maps $f:X\to X$ with composition)...
- 48.9k
25
votes
6
answers
2k
views
Are there infinitely many "generalized triangle vertices"?
Briefly, I'd like to know whether there are infinitely many "generalized triangle centers" which - like the orthocenter - are indistinguishable from a vertex of the original triangle. This ...
- 20.5k
25
votes
1
answer
5k
views
Example of fiber bundle that is not a fibration
It is well-known that a fiber bundle under some mild hypothesis is a fibration, but I don't know any examples of fiber bundles which aren't (Hurewicz) fibrations (they should be weird examples, I ...
- 253
24
votes
6
answers
5k
views
A good place to read about uniform spaces
I'd like to learn a bit about uniform spaces, why are they useful, how do they arise, what do they generalize, etc., without getting away from the context of general topology. I have to prepare an ...
- 3,004
24
votes
4
answers
7k
views
Compact open topology
What is the intuition behind using compact open topology for eg. in the case of Pontryagin dual ?
- 1,209
24
votes
5
answers
1k
views
What sets of self-maps are the continuous self-maps under some topology?
An open question on MSE, https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/427634/a-topology-such-that-the-continuous-functions-are-exactly-the-polynomials , asks whether there is an infinite field and a ...
- 511
24
votes
9
answers
2k
views
Self-containing structures
This question is partly inspired by this question: independently of the original context, I'm interested in the general claim* that an ill-founded set theory would represent certain mathematical ...
24
votes
0
answers
751
views
Are amenable groups topologizable?
I've learned about the notion of topologizability from "On topologizable and non-topologizable groups" by Klyachko, Olshanskii and Osin (http://arxiv.org/abs/1210.7895) - a discrete group $G$ is ...
- 3,897
24
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Non-abelian Grothendieck group
By general nonsense the forgetful functor from groups to monoids has a left adjoint. It maps a monoid $(X,\cdot,1)$ to the free group on $\{\underline{x} : x \in X\}$ modulo the relations $\underline{...
- 63.1k
24
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Lie groups vs Lie monoids
Does there exist a well developed theory of a class of objects which might rightfully be called Lie monoids? By this I mean with axioms similar to those of Lie groups, but with the axiomatic existence ...
- 2,099
23
votes
1
answer
706
views
Which ordered fields are homeomorphic to their power?
It is well known that $\mathbb{R}^2\ncong \mathbb{R}$. It is also known that $\mathbb{Q}^2\cong \mathbb{Q}$. It is a corollary to Sierpiński's theorem which states that every countable metric space ...
- 6,741
23
votes
5
answers
2k
views
The "right" topological spaces
The following quote is found in the (~1969) book of Saunders MacLane,
"Categories for the working mathematician"
"All told, this suggests that in Top we have been studying
the wrong mathematical ...
- 18.7k
23
votes
6
answers
2k
views
Is there a topological description of combinatorial Euler characteristic?
There are a collection of definitions of "combinatorial Euler characteristic", which is different from the "homotopy Euler characteristic". I will describe a few of them and give some references, and ...
- 54.6k
23
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Is $\beta \mathbb{N}$ homeomorphic to its own square?
Let $\mathbb{N}$ be the set of natural numbers and $\beta \mathbb N$ denotes the Stone-Cech compactification of $\mathbb N$.
Is it then true that $\beta \mathbb N\cong \beta \mathbb N \times \beta \...
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