Math 521 Spring 2010

Some Answers to the Homework May 12, 2010

(1.a) Prove that if f : X Y , g : Y Z and W Z , then (g f )1 (W ) = f 1 g 1 (W ) .

Answer: This is simply a matter of unravelling the denitions. For sets A and B the notation A B means that every element of A is an element of B , i.e. A B means x [x A = x B ] . Also A = B means A B and B A, i.e. A = B if and only if x [x A x B ] . A proof that A B looks like this: Choose x A. Bla Bla Bla Therefore x B . A proof that A = B looks like this: Choose x A. Bla Bla Bla Therefore x B . Conversely choose x B / Bla Bla Bla Therefore x B In the case at hand every step in the proof that A B is an if and only if so we can prove both halves at the same time: x (g f )1 (W ) (g f )(x) W g (f (x)) W f (x) g 1 (W ) x f 1 (g 1 (W )) x h1 (W ) means h(x) W as (g f )(x) = g (f (x)) x f 1 (V ) means f (x) V y g 1 (W ) means g (y ) W .

In these steps I used the following substitutions: h = g f , V = g 1 (W ), y = f (x). This argument does not require that f be continuous. 2 Some students are still not using set theoretic notation correctly. It is important to distinguish between sets (e.g. X , Y , Z , W ) and elements (e.g. x, y ). Also f 1 (as a map from Y X ) is only dened if f is bijective (one-one onto). However if we dene P (X ) to be the set of all subsets of X so that U P (X ) U X then every map f : X Y determines a map f 1 : P (Y ) P (X ) dened by f 1 (V ) := {x X : f (x) V } for V Y .

(1.b) Using (1.a) and the characterization of continuity in terms of preimages of open sets, prove that if f and g are continuous so is g f .
Answer: Choose W Z relatively open in Z . Then g 1 (W ) is relatively open because g is continuous. Hence f 1 (g 1 (W )) is relatively open in X because f is continuous. Therefore (g f )1 (W ) is relatively open as (g f )1 (W ) = f 1 (g 1 (W )). Hence g f is continuous. 2 Here are the denitions used in this argument. The word set means subset of some Rn . For p X Rn BX (p, ) := B (p, ) X := {q X : |p q | < }. A subset U X to be relatively open in X i for every p U there is a > 0 such that BX (p, ) U . Proposition 14.7 page 34 of the notes says that a map f : X Y is continuous if and only if for every relatively open set V Y the preimage f 1 (V ) is a relatively open subset of X .

(2.a) Assume that f : X Y and S Y . Prove that f 1 (Y \ S ) = X \ f 1 (S ).

Answer: As in (1.a) x f 1 (Y \S ) f (x) Y \S f (x) Y and f (x) / 1 S x f (Y \ S ) 2

(2.b) True or false? A map is continuous if and only if the preimage of any closed subset of its target is a closed subset of its source.
Answer: There are two correct answers to this question depending on how you interpret the word closed. (Part of the purpose of this question was to encourage

you to think about the distinction.) By analogy with the previous question you might argue as follows: Say that S Y is relatively closed in Y i Y \ S is relatively open. As Y \ (Y \ V ) = V for V Y , the relatively open sets in Y are precisely the sets Y \ S where S is relatively closed. If we interpret open to mean relatively open and closed to mean relatively closed we have f : X Y is continuous f 1 (V ) is open for every open V Y f 1 (Y \ S ) is open for every closed S Y f 1 (Y ) \ f 1 (S ) is open for every closed S Y X \ f 1 (S ) is open for every closed S Y f 1 (S ) is closed in X for every closed S Y

If on the other hand the word closed is taken to mean closed in Rn rather than relatively closed in X then the assertion is false. Take X to be the open interval (1, 1), Y = R, f (x) = 0 for all x X , S = {0}. Then S is closed but f 1 (S ) = (1, 1) is not closed. Remark: If Y is closed subset of Rm then a subset S Y is relatively closed in Y if and only if it is closed in Rm , i.e. if and only if Rm \ S is open (prove this!) so if both X Rn and Y Rm are closed, the two interpretations agree. 2 Some students said that the constant map f : R R with (say) f (x) = 0 for all x is a counterexample as {0} is closed but f 1 ({0}) = R is open. The reason is bad: it is true that R is open but it is also true that R is closed.

(3) Let A = {(x, y ) R2 : x > 0, y = sin(1/x)}, B = {(x, y ) R2 : x = 0}, and C = A B . Which of the sets A, B, C are closed?
Answer: According to Theorem 14.11 on page 35 of the notes a set S R2 is closed if and only if it is closed under limits, i.e. i whenever limn pn = p and pn S for all n we have p S . Suppose that (x, y ) = p = lim pn =
n n

lim xn , lim yn .
n

Then A. If 1/xn = n and yn = sin(1/xn ), then pn A and yn = 0, but p = (0, 0) = limn pn / A . Hence A is not closed. B. If pn = (xn , yn ) B then yn = 0 so y = 0 so p B . Hence B is closed. C. Finally assume pn C := A B . If x > 0 then xn > 0 for suciently large n so yn = sin(1/xn ) so y = sin(1/x) by continuity so p A. If x 0 then x = 0 (as xn 0) so p B . In either case p C so C is closed. 2

(4) A function f dened on an open interval is called analytic i for every a in its domain there is a power series such that

f ( x) =
k=0

ck (x a)k

for all x in some open interval containing a. Give two proofs that the function f (x) = x1 dened for x > 0 is analytic. First: Write f (x) = Pn (a, x) + Rn (a, x) where
n

Pn (a, x) :=
k=0

f (k) (a)(x a)k k!

and show that limn Rn (a, x) = 0 for x suciently near a.

Answer: Choose a > 0. By Theorem 19.1 page 49 of the notes we have that
x

Rn (a, x) =
a

f (n+1) (t) (x t)n dt. n!

By induction f (k) (t) = (1)k k ! t(k+1) so

x

Rn (a, x) =
a

(1)n+1 (n + 1)t(n+2) (x t)n dt

Choose m > 0 with m < min(a, x). Then for t between a and x we have both the inequalities t(n+1) m(n+1) and |x t| |x a|. Hence |Rn (a, x)| (n + 1)m(n+1)
a x

(x a)n dt = (n + 1)

xa m

n+1

Hence limn Rn (a, x) = 0 if the power on the right is <1, i.e. if |x a| < m. 2

Second: Use the identity

Answer: If |y | < 1 then

1 1 = where y = (x a)/a. x a(1 + y )

1 1 1 = = x a(1 + y ) a where ck = (1)k /ak+1 .

(1)k y k =
k=0 k=0

ck (x a)k 2