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Can a subspace be compact, and what topology is used on it?

Yes, a subspace can be compact. If YY is a subset of XX equipped with the relative topology τY\tau_Y, then (Y,τY)(Y,\tau_Y) is itself a topological space. The same compactness criterion applies: (Y,τY)(Y,\tau_Y) is compact if every open cover of YY has a finite subcover.

Conditions

  • YY must be regarded as a subspace of XX.
  • τY\tau_Y is the relative topology on YY.
  • The same compactness criterion is applied to covers of YY.

Reasoning, step by step

  1. Identify the subset Y⊆XY \subseteq X.
  2. Equip YY with the relative topology τY\tau_Y induced from τ\tau.
  3. Consider an arbitrary open cover of YY using sets from τY\tau_Y.
  4. Check if every such open cover has a finite subcover.
  5. If so, the subspace (Y,τY)(Y,\tau_Y) is compact.

Example

The board adds Y⊂XY\subset X and an arrow to (Y,τY)(Y,\tau_Y), and the speaker says the same definition goes for YY.

Common misconceptions

  • Thinking compactness is only defined for the whole ambient space XX.
  • Confusing the relative topology τY\tau_Y with the original topology τ\tau on XX.

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