I am struggling with one problem.
I need to show that if $X$ is a metric space in which every infinite subset has a limit point then $X$ is separable (has countable dense subset in other words).
I am trying to use the result I have proven prior to this problem, namely every separable metric space has a countable base (i.e. any open subset of the metric space can be expressed as a sub-collection of the countable collection of sets).
I am not sure this is the right way, can anyone outline the proof?
Thanks a lot in advance!
Best Answer
Let $\langle X,d\rangle$ be a metric space in which each infinite subset has a limit point. For any $\epsilon>0$ an $\epsilon$-mesh in $X$ is a set $M\subseteq X$ such that $d(x,y)\ge\epsilon$ whenever $x$ and $y$ are distinct points of $M$. Every $\epsilon$-mesh in $X$ is finite, since an infinite $\epsilon$-mesh would be an infinite set with no limit point. Let $\mathscr{M}(\epsilon)$ be the family of all $\epsilon$-meshes in $X$, and consider the partial order $\langle \mathscr{M}(\epsilon),\subseteq\rangle$. This partial order must have a maximal element: if it did not have one, there would be an infinite ascending chain of $\epsilon$-meshes $M_0\subsetneq M_1\subsetneq M_2\subsetneq\dots$, and $\bigcup_n M_n$ would then be an infinite $\epsilon$-mesh. Let $M_\epsilon$ be a maximal $\epsilon$-mesh; I claim that $$X=\bigcup_{x\in M_\epsilon}B(x,\epsilon)\;,$$ where as usual $B(x,\epsilon)$ is the open ball of radius $\epsilon$ centred at $x$. That is, each point of $X$ is within $\epsilon$ of some point of $M_\epsilon$. To see this, suppose that $y\in X\setminus \bigcup\limits_{x\in M_\epsilon}B(x,\epsilon)$. Then $d(y,x)\ge\epsilon$ for every $x\in M_\epsilon$, and $M_\epsilon \cup \{y\}$ is therefore an $\epsilon$-mesh strictly containing $M_\epsilon$, contradicting the maximality of $M_\epsilon$.
Now for each $n\in\mathbb{N}$ let $M_n$ be a maximal $2^{-n}$-mesh, and let $$D=\bigcup_{n\in\mathbb{N}}M_n\;.$$ Each $M_n$ is finite, so $D$ is countable, and you should have no trouble showing that $D$ is dense in $X$.