[Math] Is the union of two nowhere dense sets nowhere dense

baire-categorygeneral-topologyreal-analysis

Is the union of two nowhere dense sets nowhere dense?

Using the following definition:

A nowhere dense set is a subset $E\subset X$ of a metric space (or topological space) $X$ such that $(\overline{E})^o=\emptyset$.

I tried using topological properties like "union of closure of sets is the closure of union", and others. I tried also using the fact that $(\overline{A})^c={(A^c)}^o$ and other complement elementary-set-theory identities.

Best Answer

Let $A$ be a nowhere dense set. Then $(\overline{A})^o=\emptyset$. This is equivalent to saying that $(\overline{A})^c$ is dense in $X$. Let $A$ and $B$ be two nowhere dense sets. Let $S=A \cup B$. To show $S$ is nowhere dense we will show that $(\overline{S})^c$ is dense in $X$, that is $(\overline{S})^c$ meets every non-empty open set. Let $G$ be a non-empty open set. Now as $A , B$ are nowhere dense, $G\cap(\overline{A})^c\neq\emptyset$ and $G\cap(\overline{B})^c\neq\emptyset$. Also $(\overline{A})^c$,$(\overline{B})^c$ are open. Hence $G\cap(\overline{A})^c\cap(\overline{B})^c\neq\emptyset$, since $G\cap(\overline{A})^c$ is non-empty open and $(\overline{B})^c$ is dense in $X$. Thus $G\cap(\overline{A}\cup\overline{B})^c\neq\emptyset$, which implies $G\cap(\overline{S})^c\neq\emptyset$. Hence $(\overline{S})^c$ is dense in $X$. Equivalently $S$ is nowhere dense.

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