All Questions
5,184 questions
8
votes
2
answers
538
views
A continuous notion of realizability
I have been interested in non-classical logics, off and on, for quite a while. This question is probably very basic, and I hope it is not too low-level for MO. My question stems from an attempt to ...
- 20.5k
15
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Classification of Platonic solids
My question is very basic: where can I find a complete (and hopefully self-contained) proof of the classification of Platonic solids? In all the references that I found, they use Euler's formula $v-e+...
- 955
10
votes
3
answers
313
views
The identity element of a compact group is a limit point of any "polynomial sequence"
Is there an "elementary" (say ultrafilter-free) proof of the following fact: if $G$ is a compact (Hausdorff) topological group, if $g \in G$ is any element from this group, and if $P$ is a polynomial ...
- 235
0
votes
1
answer
403
views
When does a power semigroup have a zero, and what can the zero be?
Let $S$ be a semigroup. The power semigroup of $S$ is the set $P(S)=2^S\setminus\lbrace\varnothing\rbrace $ with the operation $$AB=\lbrace ab\ |\ a\in A,\ b\in B\rbrace.$$
This operation is ...
- 1,445
15
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Characterization of cocompact group action
Wikipedia claims the following:
In mathematics, an action of a group G on a topological space X is cocompact if the quotient space X/G is a compact space or, equivalently, if there is a compact ...
- 1,498
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
-1
votes
1
answer
416
views
the space of maximal ideals in C(X) and C*(X) [closed]
Let $C(X)$ be the continous function ring and $C*(X)$ be the bounded continous function ring.$Max C(X)$ consisting of all maximal ideals in $C(X)$.
Question:why $Max C(X)$ and $Max C*(X)$ are compact ...
- 21
3
votes
1
answer
895
views
Geometry Realization of Homology Class
Hello!
My question is about the realization of homology class.
The definition of the realizaion of homology class is: for manifold M and a homology class $z\in H_k(M)$, k is an integer. If we find a ...
- 703
12
votes
2
answers
741
views
Start with a topological group, take the meet of the two uniformities, and take the topology. Is the result again a topological group? [xpost from math.SE]
And what else can be said, if so?
(Original math.SE post)
In more detail: Say $(G,\mathscr{T})$ is a topological group. It has a left uniformity $\mathscr{L}$ and a right uniformity $\mathscr{R}$. (...
- 2,585
0
votes
1
answer
304
views
a questions about the sums of intersections of maximal ideals
why the z-ideals in C(X) are basically the sums of intersections of maximal ideals?
- 1
11
votes
0
answers
584
views
A proof of the gluing axiom of a TQFT
I posted the following question on math stackexchange but I have not received any answer.
So I hope people here can help me.
In the book Lectures on tensor categories and modular functors by Bakalov ...
user22741
12
votes
2
answers
479
views
C*-algebras with no nontrivial endomorphisms
Pick a C*-algebra $A$ and call a (*-)endomorphism $\alpha:A\to A$ nontrivial if it is injective and $\alpha(A)\neq A$.
Question: Do there exist infinite dimensional C*-algebras with no nontrivial ...
- 1,411
6
votes
0
answers
322
views
Terminology for notion dual to "support"
If $X$ is a set (feel free to think of it as finite, but it doesn't have to be) and $f$ a real function on $X$, call the support $\operatorname{supp} f$ the subset of $X$ consisting of all elements $i\...
- 21.5k
9
votes
0
answers
236
views
H-spaces without rational homology
Does there exist a simply connected, non-contractible manifold $M$, which is an $H$-space,
and whose rational homology groups vanish in positive degrees?
My space $M$ is in fact homotopy equivalent ...
13
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Is every $\sigma$-algebra of sets *abstractly* the Borel algebra of a topology on perhaps some other set?
Is every sigma-algebra the Borel algebra of a topology?
inspires the present question which asks for less.
Question: Given a $\sigma$-algebra $\mathcal A$ on a set $X$, does there exist a topology $\...
- 17.6k
7
votes
2
answers
544
views
A linearly orderable monoid which does not embed into a linearly orderable group
It is known (after an example of A.I. Mal'cev) that there exist cancellative semigroups which do not embed into a group. On the other hand, it is not difficult to see that every linearly orderable ...
- 10.5k
5
votes
1
answer
479
views
A question about Q?
Let A=$\{a_n : n\in \omega \}\subset 2^{\omega\times\omega}$ be nonempty countable without isolated points (i.e. homeomorphic to $\mathbb{Q}$), and satisfy $ \forall n\in \omega \exists^\infty m|\{k:...
- 427
18
votes
3
answers
5k
views
when is a locally homeo a covering map?
Let $X$ and $Y$ be locally comapct Hausdorff spaces, and $f:X\to Y$ be a surjective local homeomorphism.
When is $f$ a covering map?
It is well-known that when $f$ is proper, $f$ is a covering map.
...
- 393
3
votes
1
answer
647
views
When is a sublevel set path-connected?
I am trying to completely characterize the conditions on $f : \mathbb{R}^n \to \mathbb{R}$ under which $\{x | f(x) \le 0 \}$ is path-connected. There are many obvious conditions that are sufficient (...
- 693
7
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Arbitrary union of meagre open sets
Let $X$ be a topological space. A subset $M$ of $X$ is called meagre (or of first category) if it is covered by the union of a countable family of closed subsets of $X$ with empty interior.
Can you ...
- 73
7
votes
0
answers
466
views
Closure properties of familes of $G_\delta$ sets.
Given a family of sets $G\subset P(X)$, can one characterize by "closure properties" alone whether or not $G$ arises as the family of all $G_\delta$ for some topology on $X$? some Polish space ...
- 17.6k
0
votes
0
answers
218
views
When is $\{ x \ge 0 | f(x) \le 0\}$ path-connected?
I'm trying to determine the conditions on $f : \mathbb{R}^n_{\ge 0} \to \mathbb{R^n}$ under which $\{ x \ge 0 | f(x) \le 0 \}$ is path-connected. We can assume that $f$ is continuous and concave.
...
- 693
3
votes
1
answer
792
views
A closed connected component in a topological space does not contain any path-connected subset?
Does there exist such a non-trivial closed connected component U of some connected topological space X or a non-trivial connected topological space X that do not contain any non-trivial path-connected ...
- 1,881
5
votes
1
answer
201
views
A question on minimal idempotent ultrafilter on N^2
Is there some minimal idempotent ultrafilter $q \in \beta( \mathbb{N}^2)$ (with respect to the law $"+"$) such that any $A \in q$ is a subset of $\mathbb{N} \times \{ 0 \} $ ?
(See for example http:/...
- 7,249
9
votes
1
answer
547
views
Constructible sets in Hausdorff spaces
In an attempt to write a proof by contradiction, I end up with a space $X$ with the following properties:
(0) $X$ is nonempty,
(1) $X$ is Hausdorff,
(2) $X$ has no isolated points,
(3) every subspace ...
- 19.6k
6
votes
1
answer
634
views
Arbitrary small positive lower semi continuous functions
This question is a generalization of the question posed in this page to lower semi continuous functions. so let me describe the Question in the following way.
Def: Let $(X,\tau)$ be a Tychonoff ...
- 1,788
0
votes
1
answer
339
views
Thurston-Bennequin number vs. checkerboard coloring difference
For an alternating knot K, checkerboard-color the knot (if this is a lousy ASCII crossing: %, white goes to the left/right and black to top/bottom). Assume no surplus Reidemeister 1
kinks exist (K has ...
- 4,829
3
votes
1
answer
307
views
product spaces of rationals
Let $Q$ follow subspace topology from $R$
Then I think it is true that $Q^n$ and $Q^m$ (with product topology) are not homeomorphic.I also think it will be possible to define "rational" homotopy ...
- 153
7
votes
0
answers
299
views
Generalized Skorokhod spaces
Skorokhod spaces of càdlàg functions are an extremely useful setting to describe stochastic processes. I'd like to understand the Skorokhod topology from a pure topological point of view, without ...
- 8,512
9
votes
2
answers
1k
views
De Rham representatives of the cohomology classes in $H^*(SU(3))$
I would like to know differential forms representing the cohomology classes of $SU(3)$. I know that there exist a unique bi-invariant form in each class, but I'm not highly motivated by simply putting ...
- 502
33
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Fake versus Exotic
Without recourse to the Disc Theorem (or its progeny), is it true that all known examples of exotic differentiable structures on 4-manifolds would be fake rather than exotic?
Terminology (perhaps non-...
- 2,337
17
votes
6
answers
6k
views
What is a good book on topological groups?
I am looking for a good book on Topological Groups. I have read Pontryagin myself, and I looked some other in the library but they all seem to go in length into some esoteric topics.
I would love ...
6
votes
2
answers
605
views
$\beta\mathbb{N}$ vs $\beta\mathbb{Z}$
Just started learning the Stone-Cech compactification of discrete groups this week. My motivation comes from a question on $\beta\mathbb{Z}$. Surprisingly, I realized there are muchhhh more literature ...
7
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Cantor Sets Inside Cantor Sets
(Or: "I heard you liked Cantor Sets...")
I'm working on a student project, and the following construction came up very naturally: If $C$ is the usual Cantor Set, build a countable union of copies of ...
- 4,586
11
votes
0
answers
758
views
A basic question on Stone-Cech compactification of $\mathbb{Z}$
Can the identity isomorphism on the additive group $\mathbb{Z}$ be extended to a non-identity semigroup isomorphism on $\beta\mathbb{Z}$, and still preserves $\beta\mathbb{Z}\setminus\mathbb{Z}$? ...
- 895
16
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Characterization of Stone-Cech compactifications
Suppose I have an infinite discrete topological space $X$ of cardinality $\kappa$. Then I know some things about the Stone-Cech compactification, $\beta X$: it is Hausdorff and compact but not ...
- 20.5k
15
votes
1
answer
1k
views
In ZF, when is a disjoint union of metrizable spaces metrizable?
It is easy to see that the disjoint union $\bigsqcup_i X_i$ of a collection of
metric spaces is metrizable, simply by rescaling or chopping off
the individual metrics to have diameter at most one, and ...
- 17.6k
6
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Is there a category of topological-like spaces that forms a topos?
The category of convergence spaces generalise topological spaces and form a quasi-topos, as topoi are allegedly nicer is there a nicer kind of topological-like space, the category of which forms a ...
- 2,083
1
vote
1
answer
395
views
Can Reidemeister 3 be weakened?
If you take the diagram of the Reidemeister 3 move and "shortcircuit" two ends, you get (click https://i.sstatic.net/gfOKy.jpg if Imgur hotlink doesn't work):
...
- 4,829
12
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Borel sets preserved under open maps?
Given open map f: $R^n$ to $R^n$ such that each open set $U\in R^n$, $f(U)$ is also open. Are Borel sets in $R^n$ preserved under f?
Motivation: Pre-image of Borel sets under continuous map is a ...
- 3,038
10
votes
3
answers
2k
views
A space in which sequences have unique limits but compact sets need not be closed
A topological space is KC if every compact subspace is closed.
A topological space is US if every convergent sequences has exactly one limit.
Does someone know an easy example of a US space which is ...
- 531
11
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Topologies on the field of rationals
Ostrowski's theorem give the answer for valuations, but is there a complete classification of (at least separated) topologies on Q (compatible with the field operations, obviously)?
- 3,630
2
votes
2
answers
475
views
On the notion of torsion-freeness in semigroup theory
The following seems to be the "official" notion of torsion-freeness in the context of semigroups:
TF1. A (multiplicatively written) semigroup $\mathfrak A$ is torsion-free if there do not ...
- 10.5k
2
votes
1
answer
403
views
The set of Upper semi-continuous functions as a ring.
I should recall that the surgenfery topology on the real numbers is denoted by $\mathbb{R}_l$, and has the set
{$[a , b): a,b \in \mathbb{R} $} as it's base.
If $X$ is a topological space, an upper ...
- 1,788
1
vote
1
answer
582
views
Lifting identities of formal power series
I am looking for a possibly general class of algebraic structures (maybe special topological rings) in which one can deduce identities of concrete power series from formal ones. This class should ...
- 13
4
votes
1
answer
400
views
Is normality of a Hausdorff space consequence of some property of open domains?
Let $\mathrm{r}\mathscr{O}$ be the family of open domains (regular open sets) of a topological space $\langle X,\mathscr{O}\rangle$, that is:
$$A\in\mathrm{r}\mathscr{O}\iff A=\mathrm{int(\mathrm{cl(A)...
- 1,112
2
votes
1
answer
245
views
Assumptions on a commutative C*-algebra to get a nice C(X) - space
I have the following question,
Is it possible to get somehow a compact Hausdorff space $X$ which is second-countable from a unital commutative C*-algebra. If it is possible, what should we assume ...
- 145
4
votes
1
answer
518
views
Strictly totally ordered semigroups - Looking for references
Let $\mathfrak A = (A, \cdot)$ be a semigroup (written multiplicatively). We say that $\mathfrak A$ is linearly orderable if there exists a total order $\le$ on $A$ such that $ac < bc$ and $ca < ...
- 10.5k
9
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Homeomorphism of the rationals
In working with the classification of stable vector bundles on $\mathbb{P}^2$, I've found that I need to answer a fairly basic question from analysis/point set topology. Here it is.
Suppose $f:\...
- 5,857
2
votes
1
answer
413
views
Technique: Compactness => (Finite -> Reals)
Context
I'm studying a classical results of Erdos and Lovasz, on colorings of the real line.
The theorem to be proved is as follows:
Let $m, k$ be two positive integers satisfying:
$$e(m(m-1)+1)k\...
- 23