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A topological space is called a Fréchet-Urysohn space if for every $A \subset X$ and every $x \in \overline{A}$ there exists a sequence $x_1, x_2,....$ of points of $A$ converging to $x$.

So, is it right to say:

If $X$ is a Fréchet-Urysohn space , then for every cluster point $x$ of a sequence $\{x_i\}$ in $X$ there exists a subsequence of $\{x_i\}$ that converges to $x$?

Can do we use a sequential space instead of Fréchet-Urysohn space ?

PatrickR
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fatemeh
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2 Answers2

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I have thought more about my comment and I think I have a proof that it holds generally that in Fréchet–Urysohn space for every sequence $⟨x_n: n ∈ ω⟩$ and every its cluster point $x$ there is some subsequence $⟨x_{n_k}: k ∈ n⟩ \to x$. I'll denote sequences like $⟨x_n: x ∈ ω⟩$ and their ranges like $\{x_n: n ∈ ω\}$.

Let's take $I := \{n ∈ ω: ∀U \text{ open } x ∈ U \implies x_n ∈ U\}$ i.e. indices of sequence elements such that $x$ cannot be separated from them. If $I$ is cofinal in $ω$ then we can take a subsequence converging to $x$. If not then it's finite so we can strip an initial segment of the sequence so we can assume that $x$ can be separated from any $x_n$.

$x$ is cluster point, specially $x ∈ \overline{\{x_n: n ∈ ω\}}$. Because $X$ is Fréchet–Urysohn, there is some $⟨y_m: m ∈ ω⟩ \to x$ such that $\{y_m: m ∈ ω\} ⊆ \{x_n: n ∈ ω\}$. Let's take $n_0$ such that $x_{n_0} = y_0$ and $m_0 = 0$. Now if we have $n_j, m_j$, $j ≤ k$, we will take $n_{k + 1} > n_k$ and $m_{k + 1} > m_k$ such that $x_{n_{k + 1}} = y_{m_{k + 1}}$. We can do this or else $(∀n > n_k): x_n ∈ \{y_m: m ≤ m_k\}$ and so $x$ is in closure of finite number of elements of original sequence and hence cannot be separated from all of them which is contradiction with our assumption. So by this inductive construction we obtain $⟨x_{n_k}: k ∈ ω⟩ = ⟨y_{m_k}: k ∈ ω⟩$ a subsequence of $⟨x_n: n ∈ ω⟩$ which is also a subsequence of $⟨y_m: m ∈ ω⟩$ and so converges to $x$.

Adam Bartoš
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  • what do you mean about the $ ‎\langle, ‎\rangle $ mark ? and what does it mean " range"? – fatemeh Sep 18 '13 at 20:35
  • @fatemeh: That's one notation how to write a function and specially a sequence. If $f: X \to Y$ then $f = ⟨f(x): x ∈ X⟩$. And range of a sequence is the same as range of a function since sequence is a function. $\mathrm{rng}{f} = f[X] = {f(x): x ∈ X}$. – Adam Bartoš Sep 18 '13 at 20:40
  • I want to know what it is diffrences between $‎\langle x_n : n \in \omega ‎\rangle$ and ${ x_n : n\in \omega}$? Thanks. ‎ ‎ – fatemeh Sep 18 '13 at 20:52
  • @fatemeh: $\langle x_n:n\in\omega\rangle$ is a sequence in $X$, which is a function from $\omega$ to $X$. ${x_n:n\in\omega}$ is the range of that function; it’s just a subset of $X$. For example, if $X=\Bbb R$, and $x_n=(-1)^n$ for each $n\in\omega$, then $\langle x_n:n\in\omega\rangle$ is the infinite sequence $\langle 1,-1,1,-1,\ldots\rangle$, and ${x_n:n\in\omega}={-1,1}$. – Brian M. Scott Sep 18 '13 at 21:39
  • @StefanH.: If $(y_n)$ is constant then it is already a subsequence of $(x_n)$ or $y_0 = x_{n_0}$ cannot be separated from $x$. But you are right, I have written it wrong. But the idea is just that we are defining a sequence which is subsequence of both $(x_n)$ and $(y_n)$. I'll fix it. – Adam Bartoš Sep 19 '13 at 15:41
  • @StefanH.: But I think my proof works. Either you can construct a sequence which is subseqence of both $(x_n)$ and $(y_n)$ or there is some element $x_n$ from which $x$ cannot be separated. Without loss of generality there are infinitely many such $x_n$s since else we could have stripped an initial segment containing all finite ones. But these infinitely many $x_n$s form a subsequence converging to $x$. That's why is there the second paragraph in my proof. – Adam Bartoš Sep 19 '13 at 17:29
  • @StefanH.: If we are in situation when there are only finite elements of $(x_n)$ from which $x$ cannot be separated, then we can remove initial segment of $(x_n)$ to get a sequence where $x$ can be separated from every its element. And of course $x$ is still cluster point of this new sequence. – Adam Bartoš Sep 19 '13 at 19:19
  • @StefanH.: Of course not. But in that case the inductive construction creating subsequence of both $(x_n)$ and $(y_n)$ works. – Adam Bartoš Sep 19 '13 at 19:39
  • What do you mean by"(1) :indices of sequence elements such that $x$ cannot be separated from them."? (2):"If not then it's finite so we can strip an initial segment of the sequence so we can assume that $x$ can be separated from any $x_n$"? (3)" $x$ is in closure of finite number of elements of original sequence and hence cannot be separated from all of them."? Please give me more explain.. – fatemeh Sep 22 '13 at 16:56
  • @fatemeh: (1) isn't it obvious from the definition of $I$ to which the text was related? $x$ is separated from $y$ if there is some open $U$ such that $x ∈ U$ and $y ∉ U$. (2) There is some $n_0$ such that for any $n ≥ n_0$ $x$ cannot be separated from $x_n$ so we can take $⟨x_n: n ≥ n_0⟩$ instead of original sequence. (3) If $x ∈ \overline{{x_n: n ∈ F}}$ for some finite $F$ then $x$ cannot be separated from them all. If $x ∈ U_n ∌ x_n$ then $x ∈ \bigcup_{n ∈ F} U_n$ which is open and disjoint with ${x_n: n ∈ F}$. – Adam Bartoš Sep 22 '13 at 17:14
  • Is the Fréchet space condition, necessary? I mean, generally this lemma is hold for any space without Fréchet space condition . – fatemeh Sep 22 '13 at 18:58
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    @fatemeh: Didn't you bother to read the answer by Stefan H.? – Adam Bartoš Sep 22 '13 at 20:00
  • I believe the image of $y_m$ should be finite, not $x_n$. – Taxxi Sep 01 '21 at 05:23
  • @Taxxi What do you mean? – Adam Bartoš Sep 02 '21 at 13:33
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It is not enough to have a sequential space. For example, the Arens space is a sequential space but not a Fréchet-Urysohn space. To define it, take a topological sum of convergent sequences $(x_{n,k})_k\to x_n$ for all $n\in\Bbb N$ plus a convergent sequence $(x_{*,k})_k\to x_*$. All points $x_{n,k},\ x_{*,k}$ are isolated. Then take the quotient by identifying $x_{*,n}\sim x_n$, so that the limits $(x_n)$ themselves form a sequence converging to $x_*.$ This space, call it $A$, is called the Arens space. By construction a neighborhood of $x_*$ contains almost all points from almost all sequences. The Arens space is sequential since it's the quotient of a first-countable space.

We will now construct a sequence with a cluster point which is not the limit of a subsequence. The subspace $B=A-\{x_n\mid n\in\Bbb N\}$ is called the Arens-Fort space. We can construct a sequence $(b_n)_n$ which exhausts $B-\{x_*\}$ going through the points in a zig-zag way: $$x_{1,1}\to x_{1,2}\to x_{2,1}\to x_{3,1}\to x_{2,2}\to x_{1,3}\to x_{1,4}\to x_{2,3}\to x_{3,2}\to x_{4,1}\to...$$ Every neighborhood of $x_*$ has infinitely many elements from $B$, so $x_*$ is a cluster point of $(b_n).$ On the other hand, there is no subsequence of $(b_n)$ converging to $x_*.$ In fact, one can show that no sequence in $B-\{x_*\}$ converges to $x_*.$ But $x_*$ is in the closure of $B-\{x_*\}$, so this means that the Arens space is not a Fréchet-Urysohn space.


Let's see what happens in Fréchet-Urysohn spaces. Let $c$ be a cluster point of the sequence $(x_n)_n$ and $S$ denote the range of $(x_n).$

If some neighborhood of $c$ contained only finitely many elements from $S$, then some of them, call them $z_1,...,z_l$, are assumed infinitely often by the sequence since $c$ is a cluster point. If for each $i=1,...,l$ there were some neighborhood $U_i$ of $c$ with $z_i\notin U_i$, then the intersection of all $U_i$ would be a neighborhood containing only points of $S$ that are met finitely often by $(x_n)$, contradicting $c$ is cluster point. On the other hand, if one $z_j$ is in each neighborhood of $c$, then the constant subsequence at that point converges to $c$ and we are finished.

Now we consider the case that each $x\in S$ which is assumed by the sequence infinitely often is excluded from some neighborhood of $c.$ If infinitely many elements of $S$ were contained in each neighborhood of $c$, then they would form a convergent subsequence. So only a finite number of elements in $S$ are contained in the intersection of all neighbourhoods of $c$. But they are are all met only finitely often, so there is a tail $\mathcal T=(x_n)_{n>n_0}$, which still has $c$ as cluster point, but every $x_n$ in $\cal T$ can be excluded from some neighborhood of $c$. As $c$ is in the closure of $T=\{x_n\mid n>n_0\}$ and $X$ is Fréchet-Urysohn, there is a sequence $(y_n)_n$ in $T$ converging to $c$. Since each point in $T$ can be separated from $c$, $(y_n)$ must have infinitely many distinct values, so we can extract a subsequence of $(y_n)$ which is also a subsequence of $(x_n)_n$. (For the details of this construction see user87690's answer.)

So a Fréchet-Urysohn space has the property that each cluster point of a sequence is also the limit of a convergent subsequence.

Stefan Hamcke
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    It seems that it holds for Fréchet-Urysohn. The cluster point is in the closure of the range of the sequence. So there is sequence in the range of original sequence converging to the cluster point. From this sequence a subsequence can be taken which is also subsequence of the original sequence and we are done or else the found sequence has finite range which in Hausdorff case means the cluster point is in range of original sequence. So either this point is cofinal in original sequence and we are done or we can strip the finite initial part of the sequence and then the former approach works. – Adam Bartoš Sep 18 '13 at 18:04
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    I have thought more about it and I think it works even without separation axioms, see my answer. – Adam Bartoš Sep 18 '13 at 19:18