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107 votes
9 answers
36k views

solving $f(f(x))=g(x)$

This question is of course inspired by the question How to solve f(f(x))=cosx and Joel David Hamkins' answer, which somehow gives a formal trick for solving equations of the form $f(f(x))=g(x)$ on a ...
Kevin Buzzard's user avatar
38 votes
13 answers
5k views

Continuous relations?

What might it mean for a relation $R\subset X\times Y$ to be continuous, where $X$ and $Y$ are topological spaces? In topology, category theory or in analysis? Is it possible, canonical, useful? I ...
Lehs's user avatar
  • 862
61 votes
1 answer
5k views

Every real function has a dense set on which its restriction is continuous

The title says it all: if $f\colon \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}$ is any real function, there exists a dense subset $D$ of $\mathbb{R}$ such that $f|_D$ is continuous. Or so I'm told, but this leaves me ...
Gro-Tsen's user avatar
  • 32.5k
30 votes
4 answers
2k views

is f a polynomial provided that it is "partially" smooth?

Let $f$ be a $C^\infty$ function on $(c,d)$ ,and let $O=\cup_{n\in \mathbb{Z}^+} (a_n,b_n)$ where $(a_n,b_n)$ are disjoint open interval in $(c,d)$ and $O$ is dense in $(c,d)$. Suppose for each $n\in ...
Ben's user avatar
  • 407
155 votes
4 answers
18k views

Does there exist a bijection of $\mathbb{R}^n$ to itself such that the forward map is connected but the inverse is not?

Let $(X,\tau), (Y,\sigma)$ be two topological spaces. We say that a map $f: \mathcal{P}(X)\to \mathcal{P}(Y)$ between their power sets is connected if for every $S\subset X$ connected, $f(S)\subset Y$ ...
Willie Wong's user avatar
68 votes
2 answers
2k views

Continuous maps which send intervals of $\mathbb{R}$ to convex subsets of $\mathbb{R}^2$

Let $f : \mathbb{R} \longrightarrow \mathbb{R}^2$ be a continuous map which sends any interval $I \subseteq \mathbb{R}$ to a convex subset $f(I)$ of $\mathbb{R}^2$. Is it true that there must be a ...
Abcd's user avatar
  • 629
26 votes
2 answers
5k views

Does Arzelà-Ascoli require choice?

Inspired by a recent Math.SE question entitled Where do we need the axiom of choice in Riemannian geometry?, I was thinking of the Arzelà--Ascoli theorem. Let's state a very simple version: ...
Nate Eldredge's user avatar
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 $\mathbb R^\omega$ (...
Taras Banakh's user avatar
  • 41.9k
4 votes
0 answers
114 views

Find at least one square-boxed subcontinuum

Recall that a plane continuum is a closed, bounded, connected subset of the plane. It is non-degenerate if it contains at least two points. (We may sometimes just say "continuum" even if we ...
Mirko's user avatar
  • 1,375
3 votes
4 answers
934 views

Is there a compact connected Hausdorff space in which every non-empty $G_\delta$ set has non-empty interior?

Q1. Is there a compact connected Hausdorff space (with at least two points) in which every non-empty $G_\delta$ set has non-empty interior? (Without the requirement for connectedness, every finite $...
Mirko's user avatar
  • 1,375
2 votes
0 answers
159 views

Are there hereditarily square-boxed plane continua?

A plane continuum is a bounded, closed and connected subset of the plane. A bounding box $B$ for a plane continuum $C$ is a rectangle $B=[a,b]\times[c,d]$ (including sides and interior) such that $C$ ...
Mirko's user avatar
  • 1,375
2 votes
1 answer
382 views

Continuous real function on germs

Let $C_0^{m,n}$ be the space of germs of continuous maps from $\mathbb{R}^m$ to $\mathbb{R}^n$, located at $0\in\mathbb{R}^m$, with the usual inductive limit topology. One can also consider $C_0^{m,n}$...
Igor Khavkine's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
263 views

Does global boundedness ruin Stone-Weierstrass denseness?

Let $X$ be any topological space and denote by $\tau_X$ the topology on $C_b(X;\mathbb{R})$ that is induced by the family of seminorms $(\|\cdot\|_\psi\mid\psi\in B_0(X))$ with $\|f\|_\psi:=\sup_{x\in ...
fsp-b's user avatar
  • 463
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 ...
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 ...
Asaf Shachar's user avatar
  • 6,741
18 votes
2 answers
1k views

Comparing "axiomatized function spaces"

This was previously asked and bountied at math.stackexchange with no response. I've also tweaked the language for clarity; see the edit history for the broader context, and note that the existing ...
Noah Schweber's user avatar
18 votes
2 answers
2k views

Generalization of Darboux's Theorem

Darboux's Theorem. If $f:[a,b]\to\mathbb R$ is differentiable and $f'(a)<\xi<f'(b)$, then there exists a $c\in (a,b)$, such that $\,f'(c)=\xi$. Does any of the following generalizations Let $U\...
smyrlis's user avatar
  • 2,933
17 votes
1 answer
989 views

Can two-point sets be Borel?

Recall that a two-point set is a subset of the plane which meets every line in exactly two points. Such a set was first constructed by Mazurkiewicz in 1914. I wonder if the following question of ...
Mohammad Golshani's user avatar
16 votes
2 answers
1k views

Is there always a way up?

I am trying to find a simple criterion for a real continuous function $f$ on a connected, open subset $U$ of $\mathbb R^n$ that would imply the following property (P) For any $x, y \in U$ such that $f(...
Pluviophile's user avatar
  • 1,608
15 votes
1 answer
904 views

Bijection $f: \mathbb R^n \to \mathbb R^n$ that maps connected onto connected sets must map closed connected onto closed connected sets?

Willie Wong asked here (MO) and here (MSE) very interesting question. As he phrased it: Let $(X,\tau), (Y,\sigma)$ be two topological spaces. We say that a map $f: \mathcal{P}(X)\to \mathcal{P}(Y)$ ...
Right's user avatar
  • 225
13 votes
3 answers
820 views

Is there a Borel subset of $ \mathbb{R}^{2} $, with finite vertical cross-sections, whose projection onto the first component is non-Borel?

This question is related to another one that I asked two days ago. Question. Does there exist a Borel subset $ M $ of $ \mathbb{R}^{2} $ with the following two properties? The ...
Transcendental's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
704 views

Examples of Baire Class $\xi+1$ but not $\xi$ functions for each countable ordinal $\xi.$

We say that $f:\mathbb{R}\to\mathbb{R}$ is of Baire Class $1$ if it is a pointwise limit of a sequence of continuous functions. One can generalize the definition above by taking pointwise limit of ...
Idonknow's user avatar
  • 623
10 votes
1 answer
2k views

Counting norms on an infinite dimensional vector space

It is known that whenever E is a finite dimensional real vector space, there is only one norm on E up to equivalence (actually one non discrete vector space topology). Is it known what happens when E ...
dionysos's user avatar
  • 101
9 votes
0 answers
569 views

A standard name for a function satisfying the intermediate value theorem?

Do you know any (standard) name for a function $f:\mathbb R\to\mathbb R$ having the following weak intermediate value property: $(*)$ for any connected subset $C\subset \mathbb R$ and points $a,b\...
Taras Banakh's user avatar
  • 41.9k
9 votes
1 answer
918 views

A Besicovitch-type Covering Theorem

In the book The Geometry of Domains in Spaces by Krantz and Parks, the authors proved the weak $(1,1)$-type estimate of the maximal function $M_\mu f$, where $\mu$ is a Radon measure, using their ...
BigbearZzz's user avatar
  • 1,245
8 votes
3 answers
747 views

How does the parity of $n$ affect the properties of $\mathbb{R}^n$? [closed]

Does the parity of the dimension of $\mathbb{R}^n$ affect its structure/properties? As in, does it make a difference if $n$ is even or odd?
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

Extending continuous functions from $\mathbb Q$ to $\mathbb R$

Definitions: Let $E$ be a subset of $X$. By an extension of a function $f: E \to \mathbb R$, I mean a function $\bar f: X \to \mathbb R$ such that $f = \bar f$ on $E$. Question: For every continuous ...
Nate River's user avatar
  • 6,215
7 votes
1 answer
449 views

Stronger version of Besicovitch covering theorem

I'm wondering if the following strengthening of the Besicovitch covering theorem holds: Suppose $A\subset\mathbb R^n$ is a bounded subset and suppose $x\mapsto r_x$ is a function $A\to(0,\infty)$. Is ...
Mohan Swaminathan's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
227 views

Uniform approximation of separately continuous functions on zero-dimensional spaces

For topological spaces $X,Y,Z$ а function $f:X\times Y\to Z$ is called separately continuous if for any $(x,y)\in X\times Y$ the restrictions of $f$ to the sets $\{x\}\times Y$ and $X\times \{y\}$ are ...
Taras Banakh's user avatar
  • 41.9k
6 votes
2 answers
303 views

Is there a set $S\subseteq [0,1]$ with $|S|=2^{\aleph_0}$ and distinct pairwise distances?

Short version of question. Is there a set $S\subseteq [0,1]$ with $|S|=2^{\aleph_0}$ such that all points of $S$ have distinct pairwise distances? Formal version of question. If $X$ is a set, let $[X]...
Dominic van der Zypen's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
424 views

What is the Borel complexity of this set?

Problem. What is the Borel complexity of the set $$c(\mathbb Q)=\{(x_n)_{n\in\omega}\in\mathbb R^\omega:\exists\lim_{n\to\infty}x_n\in\mathbb Q\}$$ in the countable product of lines $\mathbb R^\omega$?...
Taras Banakh's user avatar
  • 41.9k
6 votes
0 answers
309 views

Have we discovered constructions for natural fractional dimensional spheres?

I have been thinking about a couple different problems in fractal geometry (including I one deleted because it was ill posed) and realize they all depend in a fundamental way on the problem of: Can we ...
Sidharth Ghoshal's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
188 views

On continuous perturbations of functions of the first Baire class on the Cantor set

Is it true that for any function of the first Baire class $f:X\to\mathbb R$ on the Cantor cube $X=2^\omega$ there is a continuous function $g:X\to[0,1]$ such that the image $(f+g)(X)$ is disjoint with ...
Taras Banakh's user avatar
  • 41.9k
4 votes
1 answer
228 views

Haar-null union of dense subsets

Let $\{X_i\}_{i \in \mathbb{R}-\{0\}}$ be a set of subsets of a separable infinite-dimensional Fréchet space $X$ and $I$ be uncountable. Moreover, suppose that (Dense $G_{\delta}$) $X_i$ is a dense ...
MrsHaar's user avatar
  • 63
3 votes
2 answers
203 views

Recovering a set from its projections in varying coordinate systems - a projection hull?

Let me describe the simplest non-trivial case of what I have in mind. Let $V$ be a 2-dimensional $\mathbb{R}$-vector space and fix an isomorphism $V \cong \mathbb{R}^2$, where $\mathbb{R}^2$ is ...
M.G.'s user avatar
  • 7,127
3 votes
2 answers
472 views

Regularity of lipschitz and derivable function

Let be lipschitz $f$ on $[0,1]$ and everywhere derivable. Is it true that $f\in C^1([0,1])$ ?
Dattier's user avatar
  • 4,074
2 votes
1 answer
689 views

Partitions of an interval

This question asks about properties of functions which are "piecewise" polynomials. I would like to ask a specific question about the meaning of "piecewise" there. Specifically, consider "partitions" ...
Emilio Pisanty's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
162 views

Does there exist a class of real-valued upper semicontinuos functions on $X$ such that $\mathcal{F}$ is countable?

Ian Morris quoted the following: For any upper semi-continuous function $f \colon X \to [-\infty,+\infty)$ defined on a nonempty topological space $X$ there exists a nonempty set $\mathcal{F}\...
Idonknow's user avatar
  • 623
0 votes
1 answer
127 views

Continuous extensions of tangent vector fields

Let $\Omega$ be an open subset of $S^2$ with $\bar{\Omega}\neq S^2$. Suppose a continuous tangent vector field $G$ is given on $\partial \Omega$ with $|G(y)|=1$ for all $y\in \partial \Omega$. Does ...
MathLearner's user avatar