Is it possible for an uncountable set to have at most a finite number of limit points

real-analysis

Let A be an uncountable set of real numbers.
a) Show that A has a (finite i.e. a real number) limit point.
b) Is it possible for A to have a finite set of limit points?
Prove what you state

I have proven A has a limit point and know that it is not possible for A to have at most a finite number of limit points since it is uncountable but the question says prove what you state and I am unable to come up with a rigorous explanation or proof (using introductory real analysis).

Best Answer

Let us assume that $A$ has only finitely many limit point, $a_1, \dotsc, a_n$.

For every integer $k$, we form a set $X_k = \bigcup\limits_{i = 1}^n[a_i - 1/k, a_i + 1/k]$.

It is a simple exercise to check that the intersection $\bigcap\limits_{k = 1}^\infty X_k$ is just the set $\{a_1, \dotsc, a_n\}$.

In particular, the set $B = A \backslash \bigcap\limits_{k = 1}^\infty X_k$ is still uncountable.

But we can rewrite: $$ B = A \cap \left(\bigcap_{k = 1}^\infty X_k\right)^c = A \cap \left(\bigcup_{k = 1}^\infty X_k^c\right) = \bigcup_{k = 1}^\infty (A \cap X_k^c) = \bigcup_{k = 1}^\infty (A\backslash X_k).$$

Let $B_k$ denote the set $A\backslash X_k$. Since $B$ is the countable union of all $B_k$, the uncountability of $B$ implies that at least one $B_k$ is uncountable.

However, if some $B_k$ is uncountable, then by applying part a) of the question to $B_k$, we know that it must have a limit point. This limit point cannot be any of the $a_i$, as an interval around each of them is taken away.

Furthermore, since $B_k$ is contained in $A$, a limit point of $B_k$ is also a limit point of $A$.

This contradicts the original hypothesis that the $a_i$'s are all the limit points of $A$.