Complete Metric Subspaces: Are These Metric Subspaces Complete?

In summary, the conversation discusses the completeness of two metric subspaces: a) the set E of sequences containing only entries 0 & 1 in (m,||\cdot||_{\infty}), and b) the unit sphere in any Banach Space. The conversation explores the definition of completeness and how it applies to these subspaces. It is determined that the space E is not complete because a Cauchy sequence in E will eventually converge to a constant sequence, which is not in E. Additionally, an example of a sequence in E is provided, showing that E is not complete.
  • #1
BSCowboy
31
0

Homework Statement


Determine whether the following metric subspaces are complete:
a) the set E of sequences containing only entries 0 & 1 in [tex](m,||\cdot||_{\infty})[/tex]
b) the unit sphere in any Banach Space


Homework Equations


a) for [tex]x=\{\lambda_1,\lambda_2,\ldots,\lambda_n,\ldots \}[/tex]
[tex]||x||_{\infty}=sup\{|\lambda_n|:n=1,2,\ldots\}[/tex]

b)[tex]\{x\in X:||x-x_0||=1\}[/tex]

The Attempt at a Solution


I think:
A complete space is one in which all Cauchy sequences converges to a sequence (of points) in the space

a) it seems that if I construct whatever sequence I construct will always have zeros, but my limit will be a sequence of only 1's, so it will not be in the space.
That is, [tex]||x||_{\infty}=sup\{|\lambda_n|:n=1,2,\ldots\}=1[/tex]
If this is correct, how do I show that?

b) It seems this space is complete by the same reasoning above, but again, how do I show that?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
You are thinking about the space E wrong. Your sequence is a single point in E. To discuss convergence you need a sequence of points in E, i.e. a sequence of sequences.
 
  • #3
I was thinking of:
[tex]x_1=(1,0,\ldots) [/tex]
[tex]x_2=(1,1,0,\ldots) [/tex]
[tex]\vdots [/tex]
[tex]x_n=(1,1,\ldots,1,0,\ldots)[/tex]
 
  • #4
BSCowboy said:
I was thinking of:
[tex]x_1=(1,0,\ldots) [/tex]
[tex]x_2=(1,1,0,\ldots) [/tex]
[tex]\vdots [/tex]
[tex]x_n=(1,1,\ldots,1,0,\ldots)[/tex]

Is that Cauchy?
 
  • #5
I don't think so, since it doesn't have the property:
[tex]|x_n-x_{n+1}|\rightarrow0 \text{ as }n\rightarrow\infty[/tex]
 
Last edited:
  • #6
BSCowboy said:
I don't think so, since it doesn't have the property:
[tex]|x_n-x_{n+1}|\rightarrow0 \text{ as }n\rightarrow\infty[/tex]

Right. It's not. Look at the definition of Cauchy in terms of epsilon and think about what happens if you put epsilon=1/2.
 
  • #7
That would mean:
[tex]||x_n-x_m||_{\infty}<\epsilon=1/2[/tex]
 
Last edited:
  • #8
I'm still confused, and we haven't even started talking about B yet.
known knowns:
[tex](m,||\cdot||_{\infty})[/tex] is complete since it contains all bounded sequences.
 
Last edited:
  • #9
If x_n and x_m are in E and |x_n-x_m|<1/2, doesn't that mean x_n=x_m?
 
  • #10
Yes it does. So, are you saying that my sequence I thought of is not in E or that it's in E and E it's not Cauchy so therefore E is not complete?
 
  • #11
Your sequence is in E. But it's not Cauchy and it doesn't converge. So it doesn't tell you anything about whether E is complete or not. Having thought about the epsilon=1/2 thing, if {a_n} is a Cauchy sequence in E, what can you say about the sequence?
 
  • #12
You can say that [tex]||a_n-a_m||_{\infty}<\epsilon[/tex] is true
 
  • #13
BSCowboy said:
You can say that [tex]||a_n-a_m||_{\infty}<\epsilon[/tex] is true

Apply what we decided in posts 9 and 10 to that.
 
  • #14
I don't understand where you are heading with this. Are you saying that we cannot construct a Cauchy sequence in E?
 
  • #15
BSCowboy said:
I don't understand where you are heading with this. Are you saying that we cannot construct a Cauchy sequence in E?

No. I'm saying if you put the definition of a Cauchy sequence together with the fact that "if |x_n-x_m|<1/2 then x_n=x_m", then it's easy to show all Cauchy sequences converge. Look up the definition of Cauchy sequence again and think about that.
 
  • #16
In this case:

A sequence [tex]x_n[/tex] in [tex]\left(X,||\cdot||_{\infty}\right)[/tex] is Cauchy iff

[tex]\forall \epsilon >0\quad \exists N\quad \ni \quad ||x_n-x_m||_{\infty}<\epsilon \quad \forall m,n\geq N [/tex]

You are saying if we let [tex]\epsilon = 1/2 [/tex] then:
[tex]||x_n-x_m||_{\infty}<1/2 \quad \Rightarrow \quad x_n=x_m[/tex]

So, what insight is this providing in E (the set of sequences containing only entries 0 & 1)?
 
  • #17
In this case:

A sequence [tex]x_n[/tex] in [tex]\left(X,||\cdot||_{\infty}\right)[/tex] is Cauchy iff

[tex]\forall \epsilon >0\quad \exists N\quad \ni \quad ||x_n-x_m||_{\infty}<\epsilon \quad \forall m,n\geq N [/tex]

You are saying if we let [tex]\epsilon = 1/2 [/tex] then:
[tex]||x_n-x_m||_{\infty}<1/2 \quad \Rightarrow \quad x_n=x_m[/tex]

So, what insight is this providing in E (the set of sequences containing only entries 0 & 1)?
 
  • #18
BSCowboy said:
In this case:

A sequence [tex]x_n[/tex] in [tex]\left(X,||\cdot||_{\infty}\right)[/tex] is Cauchy iff

[tex]\forall \epsilon >0\quad \exists N\quad \ni \quad ||x_n-x_m||_{\infty}<\epsilon \quad \forall m,n\geq N [/tex]

You are saying if we let [tex]\epsilon = 1/2 [/tex] then:
[tex]||x_n-x_m||_{\infty}<1/2 \quad \Rightarrow \quad x_n=x_m[/tex]

So, what insight is this providing in E (the set of sequences containing only entries 0 & 1)?

Ok, so that says that if {x_n} is Cauchy, then there exists an N such that for all n,m>N, x_n and x_m are the SAME SEQUENCE. Doesn't it?? The sequence {x_n} has to eventually be constant. Call that constant sequence 'c'. What's the limit of the sequence {x_n}??
 
Last edited:
  • #19
It would be the sequence containing only "c"?
 
  • #20
BSCowboy said:
It would be the sequence containing only "c"?

Hmmm. I'm not sure what that means. I don't think I'm getting through. All of the elements in the sequence {x_n} are equal to x_(N+1) for n>N, right?
 
  • #21
That is my understanding
 
  • #22
BSCowboy said:
That is my understanding

Ok, so doesn't the sequence have a limit?? And isn't that limit x_(N+1)?? What does that tell you about completeness?
 
  • #23
Are you saying that every sequence in E is it's own limit and that since any sequence I construct in E will be it's own limit then E is complete?
 
  • #24
BSCowboy said:
Are you saying that every sequence in E is it's own limit and that since any sequence I construct in E will be it's own limit then E is complete?

That sounds pretty garbled again. Remember a single sequence x_n is a POINT in E. The sort of sequences you need to talk about for convergence are sequences of sequences {x_n}. Got that? {x_n} is a whole bunch of sequences.
 
  • #25
You're right, I am having a hard time understanding sequences in E. Can you give me an example.

See in [tex]E_o[/tex] (the set of all sequences with a finite number of non-zero terms) an example would be:
[tex]x_1=(1,0,\ldots)[/tex]
[tex]x_2=(1,\frac{1}{2},\ldots)[/tex]
[tex]x_n=(1,\frac{1}{2},\ldots, \frac{1}{n},\ldots)[/tex]

This sequence converges to
[tex]x=(1,\frac{1}{2},\ldots)[/tex]
and I understand this sequence is not a part of [tex]E_o[/tex]
Therefore, [tex]E_o[/tex] is not complete.

I am not understanding the argument in this space E
 
Last edited:
  • #26
E is a very different space from E_0. E is an example of a discrete metric space, if that helps. If x_n and x_m are ANY two different points in E then ||x_n-x_m||=1. Please, tell me you understand that. Please? That makes "Cauchy" sequences in the two spaces very different. E IS COMPLETE. Try to approach the problem with that attitude instead of assuming it's not.

An example of a convergent sequence in E has to look like, basically,

x_1=(1,0,1,0,0,0...)
x_2=(1,0,1,0,0,0...)
x_3=(1,0,1,0,0,0...)
x_4=(1,0,1,0,0,0...)
x_5=(1,0,1,0,0,0...)

I've omitted the terms where x_m is not equal to x_n. They are ALL the SAME.
 
Last edited:
  • #27
Yes, I think I've got it. As usual..it's seems pretty simple, now.

Also, I appreciate you stubbornly sticking with me and my stubborn self.
 
  • #28
I've been thinking about this some more;
If [tex]B(x,1/2)\cap(E\setminus \{x\})[/tex]
[tex]\Rightarrow ||y-x||_{\infty}<1/2\quad \text{and} \quad y\not=x[/tex]

This would be a contradiction since
[tex]||x-y||_{\infty}=1 \text{ if } x\not= y[/tex]
 
  • #29
BSCowboy said:
I've been thinking about this some more;
If [tex]B(x,1/2)\cap(E\setminus \{x\})[/tex]
[tex]\Rightarrow ||y-x||_{\infty}<1/2\quad \text{and} \quad y\not=x[/tex]

This would be a contradiction since
[tex]||x-y||_{\infty}=1 \text{ if } x\not= y[/tex]

Well, yes. That's the point, right? A sequence can only converge to x by eventually taking the constant value of x. There's no way for it to get close to x without being x.
 

Related to Complete Metric Subspaces: Are These Metric Subspaces Complete?

1. What is a complete metric subspace?

A complete metric subspace is a subset of a metric space that is itself a metric space and satisfies the completeness property, meaning that every Cauchy sequence in the subspace converges to a point in the subspace.

2. How is a complete metric subspace different from a metric space?

A complete metric subspace is a subset of a metric space that has the additional property of completeness. This means that every Cauchy sequence in the subspace converges to a point in the subspace, while in a general metric space, this may not be the case.

3. What is an example of a complete metric subspace?

An example of a complete metric subspace is the set of real numbers, which is a subset of the metric space of all complex numbers. This subset is complete because every Cauchy sequence of real numbers converges to a real number, which is also a member of the subspace.

4. How is completeness of a metric subspace useful in mathematics?

The completeness property of a metric subspace is useful in various mathematical concepts and applications, such as in the study of uniform convergence and the existence of solutions to differential equations. It also allows for the use of important theorems in analysis, such as the Bolzano-Weierstrass theorem and the Cauchy convergence criterion.

5. Can a subset of a complete metric space be incomplete?

Yes, a subset of a complete metric space can be incomplete. This is because completeness is a property of the metric space as a whole, and not just its subsets. Even if a subset satisfies all the other conditions of a metric space, it may not be complete if it does not satisfy the completeness property.

Similar threads

  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
414
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
478
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
14
Views
570
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
15
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
8
Views
747
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
7
Views
1K
Replies
1
Views
604
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
623
  • Linear and Abstract Algebra
Replies
15
Views
1K
Back
Top